He Hates Children
by Nicci06
Summary: Bella's parents die, leaving Bella to raise her baby brother at the age of 15. What happens when she meets a guy she falls for but he hates children? Is it possible for Bella to give her brother a normal life? B/J OOC AH rated T for language
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: There's going to be a bit of fast forwarding, until Bella is about the age of 15. So please, bear with me as I skim over little Bella's life ;-)**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight._**

_Bella, age 5_

"Mommy, there's someone at the door!" cried Bella. At the young age of five, she was smart enough to know that she shouldn't open the door by herself. She grabbed a hold of Renee's hand and dragged her toward the door. Laughing, Renee opened it only to be greeted by an officer; a co-worker of her husband's, Charlie.

"Mrs. Swan?" the young officer asked. He looked to be about 24 years old, 3 years Renee's junior. She immediately became worried; knowing that the officer would obviously know Charlie was working and therefore would have no reason to visit. Unless…no, she wouldn't get ahead of herself. "Could I come in, please?" he asked when Renee nodded.

She led him into the living room, sending Bella upstairs to play in her room. She instructed the child to turn her music on, and not come out until she was summoned. It was harsh, but Renee had no desire for Bella to witness what she was sure she was about to go through.

"So what can I do for you, Officer…" she trailed off, not knowing his name.

"Cooper, ma'am. But please, call me Phil."

"Okay then, Phil. How can I help you?"

"Mrs. Swan –"

"Renee, please," she interrupted. He nodded.

"Renee, there's something I have to tell you, but have no idea how." He groaned, frustrated. Renee looked at him with worried eyes, unsure if she wanted him to continue or not. She decided to help him out, to get it over with.

"It's Charlie, isn't it?" she asked quietly. When he nodded, her face contorted in pain. A single tear slid down her cheek, and he moved to wipe it away. With that motion, she burst into sobs, clinging to him as she cried over the loss of her husband. When the tears began subsiding, she sat up and apologized.

"No need to be sorry," said Phil.

"How?" asked Renee, her voice hoarse.

"There was a burglary," he began. "Charlie was the closest. We told him to wait for backup, but he heard shots being fired…he never was one to let someone get hurt because he was 'too scared'."

Renee nodded, knowing just how brave…or even _stupid_ Charlie could be.

"I got there just as he was taking his last breath," Phil continued. "He told me to tell you he loves you very much, and that you should do your best to make Bella and yourself very happy. He said he didn't want you to wallow, or cry too many tears for him; but to remember him as he was, and not as he is." With that, Renee burst into another round of tears, letting it all out. She figured the least she could do for Charlie was to follow his wishes. When the tears subsided once more, she thanked Phil for coming to tell her and showed him the door.

She wasn't sure how she was going to raise a child on her own, seeing as how she herself wasn't quite ready to grow up just yet.

_Bella, age 8_

Bella was in the kitchen pouring milk into the cereal bowls, as her mother ran around getting ready for work.

"I'm going to be home a little late, so see if you can catch a ride from Angela's mom, okay sweetie?"

"Sure thing, Mum," replied Bella. Renee hadn't taken Charlie's death too well, so Bella had pretty much grown up completely in the past three years. She now cooked all the meals for the two of them, did the laundry, and worked on her homework without any prompting. She didn't mind, but would have preferred to be out playing with the rest of her friends. Now she was going to be home alone again, probably until she went to bed; which meant she wouldn't see her mother until breakfast tomorrow. She sighed. At least she would have time with her mother for breakfast.

"I've got to run to the office early today, sorry Bells. Thanks for the cereal, though!"

Or not.

Feeling like she had the weight of the world on her little shoulders, she cleaned up the remains of breakfast and got ready for school.

_Bella, age 12_

As Bella was switching the laundry from the washer to the dryer, she heard the front door shut.

"Bella? Can you come out here please?" Heading out to the living room, she stopped when she saw a man in there with her mother. She knew this man, although she couldn't remember from where.

"Bella, this is Phil." Phil…oh, she remembered now. Phil was the man who told her mother about Charlie's death. "You want to sit down, please, sweetie?" her mother asked.

"Sure." Bella went and sat cross-legged in the arm chair, as Phil and Renee sat on the couch.

"We have big news," said Renee, holding Phil's hand. Bella looked down at their entwined hands, and raised an eyebrow.

"You're getting married?" she asked unenthusiastically.

"Well, yes," answered Renee, put out at not being able to surprise her daughter. "But there's more."

Grinning at Renee, Phil looked over at Bella. "We're pregnant!" he exclaimed. This got a reaction out of Bella.

"Oh my God, Phil! Congratulations! I didn't know our species had evolved so men could have babies!" She was being sarcastic, of course, and they caught that. She didn't much care about what went on in Renee's life, and only dreaded the thought that she would have to raise a baby as well. And then she realized what the news of the marriage meant.

"So," began Bella tentatively. "That means that you're going to live here, right Phil?" When he nodded, she continued. "And that means that you're going to raise the baby…with Mum of course," she added after a pointed glare from her mother. He nodded again, laughing.

"Yes, I'll be here to raise the baby, and your mother as well," he chuckled, winking at Renee. Bella almost gagged at the giggle Renee let out, but held it in. She figured anyone who was willing to raise a child and the child's mother was a saint in her book, especially when that child's mother was Renee.

_Bella, age 15_

The wedding had been nice. Phil and Renee had been married in a month. They had a small ceremony, rushed so Renee wouldn't be showing when she wore her gown. Six months later, they had a little boy: Caiden Matthew Cooper. Bella hadn't let Phil adopt her, so she kept her own name of Swan. She wanted _something_ to remember her father by; although she had no issues with Phil.

Phil had been true to his word; waking with the baby every night, feeding him, changing his diapers…everything. But Bella had quickly fallen in love with her little brother, and helped him out often. Whenever Phil and Renee wanted to go out, Bella readily agreed to babysit. And so, that's what she was doing that fateful night when she went to answer the door.

She had just gotten two year old Caiden to fall asleep in her arms when the doorbell rang. She went to open it, and saw a uniform. Inviting the officer in, she ignored the feeling of dread and déjà vu and put Caiden in his crib.

She kissed his forehead, and rubbed his back as he adjusted to his bed. Going out to the living room, she wondered what was going to happen now that Renee and Phil were dead.

**A/N: I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this…**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Well since I've gotten such enthusiastic responses, I've decided to continue. I'm working on a couple of stories right now, so forgive me if I don't update too often.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

**BPOV**

"…Please fasten your seatbelts as we'll be landing shortly. Thank you for flying with American Airlines, and have a great day!"

I grabbed my bag from under the seat, and began putting Caiden's toys away. It had been two weeks since the double funeral, and I was exhausted. Taking care of a two year old as a teenager was tiring, even if he wasn't my child. I looked at my brother in the seat next to me, feeling sorry for him. We both may have lost our parents, but at least I got my mother for fifteen years, and my father for five. I could remember bits and pieces of my dad. I knew Caiden would most likely not remember anything of his parents when he got older, and that broke my heart. Luckily, I had a few photo albums of our mom and Phil, and even one of our mom with my dad.

After the funeral (and I mean as soon as our parents were done being lowered), a social worker had come up to me. She told me that Caiden and I had an uncle, our mother's younger brother. I knew of him, but had never met him; Renee had told me that her parents had adopted him after she had already moved across the country. Now he lived in Bedford; a small town about 20 minutes outside of Boston apparently.

Walking through the airport with a sleeping two year old and a duffel bag plus a diaper bag was not the brightest idea. Logan Airport was crowded, and I thanked God that Caiden was asleep. The last thing I needed was for a two year old to get lost in this huge place.

I made my way carefully over to baggage claim, scanning the area for a "brownish haired man, with green eyes". Yes, that was the only description I got of my long-lost uncle. The only other thing I knew about him was that he was rich. When I saw no one matching the description I had received, I gave up for the time being and decided to watch for our suitcases.

"Isabella?" I heard a smooth voice call. I turned, seeing the man I was probably looking for talking to another woman who looked similar to me. She was older though, and had a boy who looked about five with her. I watched as she shook her head and he apologized, looking around again. I waved timidly when he looked in my direction.

"Edward?" I asked him. He nodded, a look of relief crossing his features. He really was a beautiful man, for an uncle. As I studied him, two suitcases caught my eye on the conveyor belt.

"Oh! There are our suitcases, just give me a moment please," I said. He beat me to the belt, glancing at me for confirmation that the two he was reaching for were ours. When I nodded, he pulled them off and headed back over to me. "Thanks," I said, relieved that I wouldn't have to juggle all four bags and my brother.

"That's Caiden, I presume?" he asked, motioning to the sleeping boy on my shoulder.

"Yes," I said. "And please, call me Bella." He agreed with a small smile, and we made our way outside.

The ride home in Edward's Volvo was quiet. Caiden didn't have a car seat yet, so I sat in the back with him on my lap. Surprisingly, he still hadn't woken up. But he had had a rough week, when he realized that our parents weren't coming back. He'd been up constantly throughout the nights, only sleeping when he tired himself out completely.

I looked out the window as we drove through this small town that was supposedly the center of like, four highways. Being that it was close to five, the traffic was horrific. I sincerely hoped I wouldn't have to drive through it often in rush hour. I watched as we passed a Stop & Shop plaza, which basically held the grocery store, a toy store, a Laundromat, and a bunch of smaller stores. I continued staring out the window at all the land and churches and gas stations on our left, and the long row of little "nothing of interest" stores. I noticed a country store on the corner of one street, and decided that I would take Caiden there to see if they had any of his favorite candy – cow tales.

It wasn't long after we passed the country store that Edward took a left turn. I noticed he was pulling into a large area that held the police department, baseball and soccer fields, and a town hall, if the sign was to be believed. He made an immediate right turn into a driveway, and I stared up at the big brown house in front of us. It was the only house on the street, seeing as one would almost immediately pull into the parking lot of the baseball field or the library that was apparently right next door.

I got out of the car with Caiden in my arms, and shifted him to my right shoulder. I reached back in and pulled out the duffel and his diaper bag with my left hand. As I straightened back up, I noticed Edward staring at me with a look of apprehension on his face. When I felt Caiden stir, I realized he was looking at my brother; not me.

I glanced down at the waking two year old, worried that he might be scared since he wouldn't know where we were.

"Hey sweetie," I murmured. He glanced up at me, and then looked around us. He didn't seem to be too thrilled, but at least he wasn't throwing a fit. Caiden never had been fond of new places, and had completely despised new people. He was a very private child; our parents had never been able to get him to stay with a babysitter other than me.

He put his head back down on my shoulder, but kept his eyes open. I knew he was probably hungry, so I shifted the bags on my other shoulder and headed in. Edward followed, holding our suitcases.

"So, this is it, huh?" I asked him conversationally.

"Yup. Home, sweet home," he said with a small smile. "It's not much, but I hope you guys will be comfortable here."

"I'm sure we will be," I told him. "Don't worry about us." He nodded and led the way to our rooms, giving us the grand tour as he went. When I walked in the front door, I was immediately facing the stairs. The living room was on the right, and the dining room on the left. The kitchen was behind the dining room, and had an open doorway to the living room as well. Up the stairs, Edward's bedroom was on the left with another room directly across from it; that room was apparently his study. The master bedroom had its own bathroom, so only Caiden and I would be sharing one. That was fine with me.

Down the hall to the right, there were three doors. Caiden's room was on the left; our uncle had done his best to put the bare necessities in there for him. There was no bed though; he explained that he wasn't sure what kind of bed a two year old needed.

"He still sleeps in a crib," I said. "But soon he'll be transitioning to a toddler bed, so we should probably get him one that converts." Edward agreed, and we headed to my room. The bathroom was between our rooms, and there was a connecting door to both of them. That was good; I could easily get to Caiden two different ways if he needed me.

Where Caiden's room was painted a dark blue with green trim; mine was a light, almost baby blue with a very light lavender trim. He had gotten me a queen sized bed, and a desk and dresser to match. I squealed out loud when I saw the furniture, startling Caiden. For a man who knew nothing about teenage girls, he sure had picked out perfect things.

"My girlfriend Alice helped me with your rooms," Edward told me. "She wasn't sure about some things for Caiden though. The social worker told me he was a little…" he hesitated, obviously trying not to offend me.

"The doctors think Caiden might be autistic," I said flatly. "It's okay, you can say it."

Edward nodded, looking a little fearful at the way I said the words. While it may be true, it didn't mean I had to like it. To me, Caiden was perfect, and I didn't care if he never spoke or anything like that; which he hadn't. To this day, Caiden had never spoken a word to any of us. I feared that the death of our parents may have set him back, but there was nothing I could do about that right now.

I dropped the duffel bag on the floor of my room, and Edward did the same with our suitcases.

"I should probably put Caiden's suitcase in his room…" he said, reaching for it again.

"Thanks," I said. "For everything." He looked a little shocked, but muttered a "no problem" as he walked back to my brother's room.

I carried Caiden downstairs and set him in the living room to play with some of his toys so I could make dinner. Walking into the kitchen, I suddenly realized just how bare the house was. There were no pictures, and not much furniture. What furniture _was_ in the house, it was basic "man" furniture…brown leather, flat screen T.V., piano in the corner—wait. A piano?

"You play piano?" I asked Edward as he came down the stairs.

"Yes, I do," he told me. "Do you?"

"Nope," I said, popping the "p". "I never had the patience for that." As I spoke I headed for the fridge, hoping to find something suitable for both a toddler and a grown man. Opening it, I gasped in shock.

"Edward! Where the hell is all the food?"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I know it's short, I'm sorry. I couldn't seem to write anymore after where I ended it.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

_At times life's unfair and you know it's plain to see  
Hey God I know I'm just a dot in this world;  
Have you forgot about me?  
Whatever life brings,  
I've been through everything  
And now I'm on my knees, again_

_-Don't Stop Dancing, Creed_

Edward gulped, apparently hearing my pissed off tone.

"Uh, well, you see," he stuttered. "I'm not a very good cook, and neither is Alice, so we tend to eat out a lot."

I sighed. It was too late to go grocery shopping now, especially if I wanted to have Caiden fed in time to give him a bath before he fell asleep.

"Pizza it is, I guess," I grumbled. "But tomorrow I'm going grocery shopping." I gave Edward my best glare, and he nodded enthusiastically.

"I'll leave money out for you tomorrow," he promised.

"Well, in that case I'll give Caiden his bath now, and just try to keep him clean while he eats," I sighed. "Can you order pepperoni for me please?"

"Sure." As he picked up the phone, I picked up my brother.

"You ready for a bath, little man?" I asked him. He nodded, still a little clingy. I couldn't blame him; it was a new place with a man we'd never met before. I wanted someone to cling to as well, but I didn't have anyone. As I started a bath for Caiden, I suddenly realized something. Scooping him up once more, I ran back down the stairs.

"Edward, did you order anything for Caiden?" He looked at me funny.

"Can't he eat pizza?" he asked. I sighed and rolled my eyes. Any other day his question would have been hilarious, but right now I was tired.

"Please call back and order him a kid's meal," I requested. "Some spaghetti, if they have it." I did my best not to let him hear my disappointment; after all, it wasn't his fault he knew nothing about children.

"Sure, sure," he said. "And Bella, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I told him. "Really. I probably should have told you in the first place." He grabbed the phone again, and I headed back upstairs.

Just as I was putting Caiden into his pajamas, I heard the doorbell ring.

"Food's here!" I announced. Caiden giggled and clapped his hands. "Are you hungry?" He nodded, and I brought him downstairs.

Edward was putting the food on the table when we walked into the kitchen. Looking around, I realized there was something else he hadn't gotten Caiden.

"When we go to get Caiden's bed, we should really pick him up a high chair, too," I said. Edward looked at me with wide eyes, and this time I did laugh. "Yes, a high chair," I repeated. "He can't reach the table if he sits in a regular chair. We could just get a booster seat if you really want, though."

"No, whatever you think is best is what we'll get," said Edward. I was very appreciative of his acceptance of us, and the things we need. I just wasn't sure how to show him.

I insisted on feeding Caiden myself in an attempt to keep him semi-clean, but he threw a fit every time I grabbed his fork. Finally, I told him that he wasn't going to eat if he wasn't going to let me help him, and he settled down. It was probably a little harsh, but I was in no mood to give him another bath and the spaghetti was messy. I was just too tired; and I sincerely hoped he might sleep through the night.

I started my freshman year at a new school in a few days, and I _really_ did not want to be run down and looking like hell when I was a new face.

As Caiden was chewing, I continued cutting up the rest of his food. Once Edward was done eating, I spoke.

"I need help," I told him, enjoying the grimace that crossed his face. Men that had no experience with children were fun to mess with. When he nodded for me to continue, I did. "I need to do the dishes, so would you mind feeding Caiden while I do? That way I won't have to leave him unsupervised." The look of horror in his eyes made me laugh out loud. "Or you could do the dishes and I'll finish feeding him," I offered.

"I'll do the dishes," he said immediately, relieved. I grinned as he went into the kitchen with our dishes. Caiden was done eating, anyways. I just wanted to scare our uncle.

I picked up Caiden after wiping his face and hands, and brought his plate into the kitchen.

"We're going to bed," I told Edward.

"Okay," he said. "If you need anything at all, feel free to knock on my door. I don't care what time it is," he emphasized. I nodded and thanked him, and brought my brother up to my room. The poor kid was already out like a light; I just hoped it lasted.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Yay for baby shopping!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I do own Caiden though.**_

Sunday morning arrived, and I was woken up by the sound of a giggling toddler. Prying one eye open, I spotted my brother sitting on my bed watching morning cartoons on a television I hadn't noticed before. I wondered who turned the T.V. on for him, and realized Edward must have done it.

As soon as Caiden realized I was awake, he squealed and lunged into my arms. Every morning since he was born, I had given him a good morning hug before I did anything else.

"Hi sweetie," I said. "Did you sleep good?" He nodded, and I realized I hadn't woken up at all last night. I'd have to ask Edward if he had to come in for him. "Are you hungry?" I asked Caiden. With another nod for an answer, I rolled out of bed and slid my feet into my slippers.

After the quick version of my morning routine, I dressed Caiden and carried him downstairs. When I realized it was only eight o'clock, I started a pot of coffee and scrambled eggs. Caiden was almost done eating by the time Edward stumbled into the kitchen.

"Good morning," I said brightly. A mumbled "right" was my only response. I laughed and poured a cup of coffee for him. I waited until my brother was done with his breakfast and Edward was done with his second cup of coffee before trying to make conversation again.

"Did you turn on the T.V. while I was sleeping?" I asked Edward. With a guilty look, he nodded his head.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I heard Caiden making noises and I didn't hear anything from you, so I went to check it out. I figured you could use some sleep, which is why the T.V. was on. Did I do something wrong? Is he not supposed to watch T.V. or something?"

I laughed at his worried questions. "Don't worry about it," I said. "He's allowed to watch cartoons in the morning; he usually does when I'm getting ready for the day." The relief on his face was comical. "Have you introduced yourself to him yet?" I asked Edward.

Edward blushed, and he looked nervous. "Well, I didn't know if he would understand me or not. I don't know what age kids start talking and understanding…" he trailed off, and I hid a smile.

"Come on," I said. "I'll introduce you, and you can just say hi. He understands a lot of what people say unless they use big words, but he hasn't spoken yet. If you want to ask him something, try and make it a yes or no question. Ready?"

He took a deep breath and let it out, nodding hesitantly. I led him into the living room where I had set Caiden down with a couple toys and I sat. Patting the floor next to me encouragingly, I said, "Come on." When Edward sat down, Caiden looked up; nothing but curiosity on his face. I pulled him into my lap, and turned to face Edward.

"Caiden, this is your uncle Edward," I said. "Can you wave?" He waved hello at Edward, who looked perplexed.

"Hey, little guy," he said softly. "Do you like this house?" I could tell he had thought a lot about what he wanted to say, and apparently that was the best he could come up with. Whatever, at least he's finally talking to him. Caiden studied Edward with curious eyes, probably wondering why it mattered if he liked the house. When he nodded, Edward grinned.

"That's good," I said. "Because we're going to live here now." As he looked up at me with confusion evident on his face, my heart clenched. How does one explain to a two year old that his parents weren't coming back? I had to do my best.

"Mommy and Daddy aren't coming back, sweetie," I said quietly. His eyes filled up with tears, and I kicked myself. "They still love you very, very much. They went to heaven, though, and they're not allowed to come back. Do you remember what I told you about heaven?"

Caiden shook his head slightly, still watching me. "Heaven is a place where good people go when they're called. Mommy and Daddy got that call. Now they're in heaven, and they're watching us right now. Can you wave to them?" His face brightened as he looked around. When I pointed up, he waved at the ceiling with a small smile. He hugged me fiercely, before turning to look at Edward.

"Edward is going to look after us for Mommy and Daddy," I explained. "We're both still too little to be all by ourselves, so he's going to help out. Is that okay with you?" Caiden studied Edward for a moment, before giving a tentative nod. Edward smiled, and I did too.

"I'm going to do the best I can," he said, looking at me. "I know I don't know much about anyone under 21, but I'm really going to try." It sounded more like a resolve than a promise, but I'd take what I could get. He was our last living relative, after all.

-

In order to get to the stores before they closed, we had to leave soon. We piled into Edward's car with Caiden in my lap, and headed off to Burlington Coat Factory. Upon arriving, I grabbed a cart and settled Caiden in the front.

"You ready for some shopping, buddy?" I asked him. He nodded, an excited grin on his face. Just like me, my little brother loved shopping.

As I pushed Caiden around the store, Edward followed close behind. He seemed a little overwhelmed, and I felt a surge of pity for him. He was probably in the baby section of a store for the first time, and it wasn't even his kid.

After some serious searching, we finally settled on the furniture we wanted to buy. Caiden insisted on getting a Toy Story toddler bed, which had little rails. He was obsessed with Woody. After he solemnly promised to sleep in it like a big boy, we moved on. I got him a Toy Story car seat that converted into a booster seat, since he would grow out of a regular car seat soon; and also a blue booster seat for the kitchen table.

Upon Edward's insistence (who was really getting into the shopping) we also bought a Toy Story toy box and desk, and a little Toy Story recliner for when he wanted to watch a movie. After we gave all the model numbers to an associate and double checked them, we moved on to the toys. Edward insisted that Caiden needed more toys than what I was able to bring, and was more than willing to buy them. He also fell in love with shopping for clothes for Caiden, and I laughed at some of the outfits he picked out. After almost passing out from laughing so hard at the picture of Edward holding a onesie sized 6 – 9 months up to Caiden, I helped him out with sizes.

"Caiden doesn't wear onesies anymore," I informed him, still laughing. We moved over to the toddler clothes and picked out a couple of outfits Caiden liked.

When we got to the checkout counter and everything was rung up, I gasped at the total.

"That's almost four thousand dollars, Edward! He can't possibly be that expensive!"

Edward just laughed and handed the cashier a credit card. "It's okay," he said. "Most of it was stuff I just wanted him to have." He gave me a cheeky grin and I glared at him.

"Would you like the furniture delivered, or will you take it with you?" asked the cashier.

"We'll take it with us," said Edward confidently.

"Um, Edward? All we have is a little car, and with three people in it, there's not a lot of room…" I trailed off, hoping he would see my point.

"Don't worry about it," he said, taking his card back and signing the receipt. Whatever.

When we got outside with the bags that would fit in the cart, I stopped. There was a giant red pickup truck parked next to the sidewalk, and a gorgeous woman standing next to it. She was talking to two equally gorgeous people, a man and a woman. There was another guy standing near the back of the truck. When I saw him, I gasped.

I changed my mind. The first three weren't gorgeous. They were pond scum compared to this angel I saw standing there. I saw nothing else as I stared at him; felt nothing but a tugging sensation on my heart.

"Breathe, Bella," Edward whispered in my ear. When I did, I realized the tugging sensation was Caiden trying to get me to pick him up.

**A/N: Up next, the rest of the gang! Reviews make me happy like a pig's foot does a dog.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Some of you might be wondering why Bella's so happy despite the fact that she just lost her mother and step-father. I know it's a little odd, but she's putting on a brave face for Caiden. There will be a scene later on that rectifies this situation and lets you know how she's feeling. However, it will most likely be the only "sad Bella" scene that has to do with her parents. **

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

_Am I hiding  
In the shadows?  
Forget the pain and  
Forget the sorrow_

_-Don't Stop Dancing, Creed_

I picked up Caiden, doing my best to concentrate on my brother. When he was in my arms, I looked up at Edward who was holding the shorter woman of the two.

"Bella, I'd like you to meet Alice," he said. I shifted Caiden to my left arm and held out my right hand to shake Alice's. Instead of a handshake, however, she pulled us in for a hug.

_Mistake number one._

When Caiden howled at the contact, she immediately tried to take him into her arms to soothe him.

_Mistake number two._

As he screamed even louder, clinging to me, she turned a terrified look at me, showing me all her fear.

_Mistake number three._

I was all for letting my uncle/guardian have his own life. But as of right now, he's the only person Caiden and I have, and damned if I'm going to let some strange (to us) chick take him away from my baby brother. Especially since she would be, through association, in close contact with him. It was hard to let even Edward get close to Caiden, but I felt he had proven himself enough given our situation.

I took a step back and ignored Alice, instead soothing Caiden before I went deaf.

"It's okay, baby, she didn't know, she's sorry" – I glared at Alice when I said that – "she won't do it again, okay? Are you okay?" Caiden nodded, still sniffling. I thanked my lucky stars that it hadn't turned into a full out bitch fit. My brother could be the sweetest baby ever, but one touch from the wrong person had him turning into Satan's child. He despised when strangers touched him. _Yet another sign of Autism,_ I thought to myself. I sighed internally, and then turned to face the group while still rubbing Caiden's back.

Edward had a look of shock on his face, staring at the toddler in my arms. Alice looked horrified, the couple she had been talking to looked nervous, and the glorious angel (still near the back of the truck) looked disinterested and a little annoyed.

"He needs a nap," I said quietly to Edward, ignoring everyone else. He nodded; still looking traumatized, and set up the car seat. I strapped Caiden in, and when he wouldn't let me go I got in next to him.

After Edward said goodbye to his friends, the ride home was silent. I felt bad about how I had acted toward Alice, but still. She unknowingly traumatized my baby brother! I sighed, figuring I'd apologize to Edward first, and Alice the next time I saw her.

Back at the house, I set Caiden in my bed. When I was sure he was out, I went downstairs in search of Edward. Halfway down the stairs, I heard voices.

"Don't worry about it, Alice. There's no way you could have known. Hell, I didn't even know!" Great. Looks like I was going to have to apologize to Alice first. I walked the rest of the way down the stairs as quietly as I could; knowing Alice would see me as soon as I reached the bend. I was right.

"Bella, I'm so, so sorry! I had no idea! Please forgive me, please don't be mad!" she cried.

"Alice, it's okay. Like Edward said, there's no way you could have known. In fact, I wanted to apologize for my behavior. I just get a little defensive when my brother cries," I tried to explain.

Just as she was about to say something, the two guys from earlier interrupted. The bigger one had curly brown hair and warm blue eyes. He also had muscles that insinuated the use of steroids, but his personality (from what I had seen) contradicted it. The other one was only a few inches shorter than the bigger one, but still stood around 6'0" by my estimate. He had wavy blond hair that wasn't long or short, and his eyes were an icy contrast to the bigger guy's; they were a pale blue, as though there was a sheet of ice over them. He seemed toned, judging from the muscles in his arms, but not massive.

"BEEP, BEEP, BEEP; GET THE HELL OUTTA THE WAY!" the big one boomed. The blonde rolled his eyes, beads of sweat dripping down his face. I noticed they were carrying a big box into the house, and the words on the side told me it was Caiden's bed. I moved, as did Alice and Edward, and a blond supermodel walked into the room. She had the same pale blue eyes as the blond guy, and I assumed they were related.

"Hi, we didn't get to meet earlier. I'm Rosalie, but you can call me Rose. The bigger guy is my husband Emmett, and the smaller one is my nephew Jasper." She stuck her hand out to shake mine, and I took it.

"I'm Bella," I said somewhat shyly. "I'm sorry about the scene earlier, my brother Caiden doesn't like to be touched." She shook it off with a smile, letting me know all was okay.

"FUCK!"

All four of us looked up the stairs as the booming voice carried down. I cringed and held my breath, waiting to see if the noise had woken Caiden up. When I heard a small cry, my face fell. My poor brother could definitely use the sleep. Oh, well.

I jogged up the stairs, taking them two at a time. I calmed Caiden down and walked out of my room, noticing Emmett standing in the hallway with a look of panic on his face. I walked closer to him, and introduced myself and Caiden.

"Hi, Caiden!" he said with a grin. Caiden curled into me, resting his head on my shoulder as he regarded the man wearily. "Can I hold him?" he asked me. I shook my head no.

"He doesn't like to be touched. That's what caused the scene earlier," I explained apologetically. "Would you mind telling Jasper, just so we don't have any problems later?"

"It's all good," Jasper called from inside Caiden's room. "I don't like kids anyway." I felt my heart fall as he spoke those words, and immediately chastised myself.

_It doesn't matter if he likes kids or not,_ I thought. _It's not like you were going to date him or anything. He's probably too old for you anyway._

-

The men had finished setting up all of Caiden's furniture, and I couldn't thank them enough. Alice and I came to a shy understanding, where neither of us was responsible for Caiden's outburst. Jasper had been a little distant all evening, and for some reason it hurt. I cooked dinner for all of them, and the men had cleaned up while I tried to get Caiden used to Alice and Rose.

Finally, bed time came; and not a minute too soon. After saying good night to Edward, I bathed Caiden and showed him his new room. He was asleep in minutes in his new bed, and I sank down to the ground beside him. He looked like an angel when he slept, but I was terrified of this angel. He was growing up so quickly…not three days ago he was still in a crib. Now he was sleeping in a "big boy" bed, and perfectly comfortable with it.

I wished Mom and Phil had been there to see it. I didn't know if I believed in heaven and whatnot, but I sure hoped they were watching over us; over me. With the amount of knowledge I had seen Edward possess since we arrived, I knew I would be pretty much raising Caiden still.

As I sat there watching my baby – no, my _toddler_ – brother sleep, I broke down. It felt like it had just hit me that our parents were dead; no longer coming back. I would never again cook breakfast for them; never hear their words of praise when I brought home an A on my report card. I had gone from teenage sister/baby sitter to pretty much a teen mom in a single night.

I bawled until I thought I had no more tears, and I stopped only when I saw Caiden roll over. His thumb had fallen from his mouth although he was still subconsciously searching for it, and I vowed to raise my brother as though he were my own.

The door creaked open, and I saw Edward poke his head in.

"Are you alright?" he asked me softly. I nodded and sniffled, my eyes still on Caiden's sleeping form.

"Want to talk about it?" I shook my head no, and finally looked up.

"I miss them so much," I croaked out quietly.

"Come on," he said, opening the door wider. He led me to my room and sat on the bed with me, holding me as I cried. "It's harder for you, isn't it," he murmured absently. "You've not only lost two parents, but three." I didn't know where he was going with this, but it was only making me cry harder. "None of them will ever be there to hold you; they won't see your children, their grandchildren. Charlie never even saw you start kindergarten." He kept going, saying all the things he thought would make me cry harder. When the tears finally subsided again, he stopped rubbing my back and shifted so he was facing me. "All better now?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said quietly, spent.

"I don't mean to make you feel worse," he said. "I just thought it might be better if you got it all out at once, you know?" Suddenly, I realized what he was saying. I knew that by getting it all out now, I wouldn't have a meltdown in front of Caiden.

"Thank you," I murmured.

The last thing I remembered before passing out was Edward tucking me into my bed while I was still in my clothes from earlier.

**A/N: Just to let you know, we have a new story up: Army Brats. Check it out, and if you like it leave reviews!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This one is for Lozzapop007**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

_How dare you say that my behavior's unacceptable?  
So condescending, unnecessarily critical.  
I have a tendency of getting very physical,  
So watch your step cuz if I do you'll need a miracle_

_-Harder to Breathe, Maroon 5_

**JPOV**

When Alice had called Aunt Rose to bring me and Emmett to Burlington Coat Factory, I was in a good mood.

"Sure, why not?" I said.

"Maybe it'll be fun," I said.

"I wonder if this chick will be hot," I said.

Then we arrived.

We hadn't been there more than two minutes when Edward came out with some girl pushing a kid in the cart. The cart was full of bags, and I groaned inwardly knowing there was plenty more to come; probably stuff Emmett and I would have to assemble.

The kid was kind of cute, but kids weren't my scene. I hated them, they hated me. It was a mutual feeling. But the girl…

She was beautiful. Beyond beautiful; she was the literal definition of "sight for sore eyes". I feigned disinterest when she looked my way. I didn't want to creep her out by staring at her before she even knew my name.

_Bella._

Her name suited her perfectly.

And then the kid started screaming. God, what an awful sound. I leaned against the bed of the truck, holding my head in my hands. When it finally stopped, I breathed a sigh of relief. I hated kids.

Thankfully, Edward took them home. Unfortunately, that meant we had to load up and bring it over. I was _not_ looking forward to seeing that kid again, but Bella on the other hand…

"Did you _see_ her?" asked Emmett quietly, hoping Rose wouldn't hear him.

"Of course I saw her," I responded. "What do you think I am, blind?"

He laughed boisterously, clapping me on the back.

"Dude, you should have seen your face when the kid started crying," he said. I scowled and flipped him the bird.

"Jasper Whitlock! Don't let me catch you doing that again, especially not to family," said Rose. Damn.

"C'mon, Auntie Rose! I'm sixteen, almost a grown man! Shouldn't I be able to at least act out swears, since I'm not allowed to say them?" I figured it couldn't hurt to try and butter her up with the "Auntie" bit. It didn't work.

"No," she all but growled. "Now start loading up. Edward apparently bought the entire store."

I groaned loudly, moving to help Emmett lift the boxes. Some of these were fucking heavy.

When everything was finally loaded, Rose and Alice took the latter's car while I drove my truck and Emmett sat next to me. Pulling into Edward's drive, I noticed the women were already here. I prayed the kid was asleep, because the last thing I needed when I was trying to hit on a girl was her _responsibility_ getting in the way. Hopefully she would at least be impressed with my muscles.

"You ready, Sport?" asked Emmett as I scowled.

"Dude, seriously. Don't call me that." He laughed and slid the kid's bed off the truck. When he jumped down, we squatted and each picked up an edge.

"BEEP, BEEP, BEEP; GET THE HELL OUTTA THE WAY!" Emmett hollered. I rolled my eyes, praying Bella wouldn't assume I was like him. I figured Rose would tell her who I was, so I just kept going. I refused to make eye contact with her. Whatever I felt back at the store had happened when I made eye contact with her, and I did _not_ want that to happen again.

We got upstairs and just as we were through the door of the kid's room; I accidentally dropped my side of the bed. Or maybe it was on purpose.

"FUCK!" Emmett screamed.

"Jesus _Christ_, shut the fuck up, man," I hissed. "You're gonna wake the goddamn-" I was interrupted by the sound of a cry and footsteps on the stairs. "Not again," I moaned.

Emmett looked like an idiot, panicking and not knowing what to do. He settled for standing in the hallway until Bella came out with the kid, while I pulled the pieces of his bed out of the box. I heard him say hello to the kid, and then ask to hold him. _What an idiot_, I thought to myself.

"He doesn't like to be touched," I heard Bella say. Her voice was music to my ears, soft and sweet. "That's what caused the scene earlier. Would you mind telling Jasper, just so we don't have any problems later?"

_So she knew my name._

"It's all good," I called. "I don't like kids anyway." I felt a pang in my heart when I said that.

_You could learn to like this one,_ a little voice in my head said. I shook it off as Emmett came back in. There was no way I could learn to like any kid, not even her brother. When he got older, maybe…but he'd have to be about 15 before I'd like him.

"Somebody's crushing…" sang Emmett.

"Shut the hell up," I hissed. "Just because I think she's hot, does _not_ mean I want to date her or anything."

Emmett looked at me with wide eyes.

"I wasn't talking about you…but I am now!" he said, laughing.

"What do you mean?" I said, suddenly eager for knowledge.

"You should have seen the look on her face when you said that you didn't like kids," he told me. "She looked like somebody had stomped on her heart and threw it in a meat grinder." My heart beat faster when I heard his words.

_Could it be true? Could she really like me back?_

_--Of course she does, you idiot._

_But Emmett might have mistaken her expression for something else…_

_--He didn't. He might be a moron at times, but he knows how to tell when someone's hurt._

Great. Now I was talking to myself. And "myself" was talking back.

We finished setting up the kid's room, and headed downstairs to eat the dinner Bella had made for us. I found myself admiring the way she took care of her brother, as though she had been doing it her whole life.

_I wonder what she'd look like taking care of our children._

I shook my head and wondered where the hell that thought had come from. With the amount of dislike I had for children, there was no way in Hell I'd be having any.

**A/N: Okay, so this was my attempt at Jasper. Let me know if you like it!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I apologize for the confusion. Jasper actually did know that Caiden was Bella's brother. Edward told Alice when he found out that he was going to have to be their guardian, and Alice told Rose and Emmett, who told Jasper. Slightly complicated? Sorry. The point is, Jasper heard through the grapevine that Caiden was Bella's brother, and **_**not**_** her son. :-)**

**Also, some of you have asked for Edward's POV. I will not be doing an entire chapter in his POV as this is Bella's story (and Jasper's) but for you guys I will do a section of a chapter for Edward.**

**Oh, and to answer one more question: Jasper's dislike of children will be revealed eventually, when he explains it to Bella.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Caiden is 100% mine.**_

_You are waiting on a beach  
For a healing word to come…  
And the hurting leaves you numb_

_-Let it Go, Newsboys_

**EPOV**

Once I knew Bella had fallen asleep, I tucked her in and tiptoed out of her room. _Christ_ that was awkward. I almost wished she hadn't broken down in front of me, but in her defense she did just lose two parents.

Not to mention that me being the dumbass I am, I sprung four new people on her and her brother two days after they got here.

_My niece and my nephew._

I had known about them, thanks to Renee. While we had been distant with each other, we had still kept in touch. I knew Bella knew about me, and I knew Caiden would as well when he got older. I had just never met them.

Before they came along, I was living the life of a bachelor. I loved it. I could come and go as I pleased, stay at Alice's if I wished, or even leave the fridge empty. Now I was responsible for a fifteen year old and a two year old. Granted, Bella could probably take care of herself and her brother. But I was still supposed to be the adult in the house, and I had yet to grow up myself.

I was terrified of having a toddler in my house. Would I have to move all my breakables out of the way; could he even walk yet? Would I have to get baby food, or could he eat regular food yet? What about diapers? Does he still sleep in a crib? All those questions and more had been running through my head since the minute I had found out they would be living with me.

What about privacy? Every teen girl loves her privacy, right? Would it be awkward living with an uncle she had never met?

I sighed. I had answers to some of my questions. Others…not so much.

I loved them. I really did, even though I had just met them. They were the closest thing I had to my own kids; especially since I had never actually wanted any. Yet as I lay in my bed, I came to a single realization that hit me like a ton of bricks.

_I would give my life for them, and kill a brother if he hurt them in the smallest way._

I had one last thought as I drifted off.

_What the hell have I gotten myself into?_

**BPOV**

_What the hell have I gotten myself into?_

That was the first thought running through my head as I carried Caiden through the parking lot of the new high school I was going to.

I had told Edward not to worry; he didn't need to deal with a two year old that was suddenly in his life as he went off to do whatever it was he did during the day. I told him I would just bring my brother with me to school, and enroll him in the daycare.

Now, as I headed to the building that apparently held the main office, I practically feel the stares and hear the thoughts that accompanied them.

_Who's that?_

_Is that her son?_

_She's bringing her son to school with her, and she's only 15._

_She must be a slut to get pregnant at 12._

I sighed, shifting a sleepy Caiden to my left. Oh well; it's not as if I needed new friends. I actually preferred to be by myself. Unfortunately, I had a feeling that people here would be like sharks out for blood; trying to get the story out of me any way they could. I would tell anyone who asked; but only that Caiden was my brother. Nobody needed to know the entire story.

I entered the office and sat down on one of the chairs, waiting for someone to appear behind the desk. Someone did; a small woman with big, gray hair and brown eyes. She looked nice enough.

I walked up to her, still carrying Caiden. "Excuse me," I said quietly. She looked up and for a split second I would have sworn her eyes narrowed; but when I blinked she had a friendly smile and was looking at me and not Caiden.

"How can I help you, dear?" she asked me.

"I was wondering if you could show me to the daycare," I said. "I need to enroll my brother, because there's no other place for him to be while I'm in class."

I must not have imagined the narrowed eyes, because when I said "brother", they grew soft.

"Oh, you must be Isabella Swan," she said apologetically. "I'm so sorry about what happened to your mother and your step-father, dear." I sighed, and that must have given her a hint to shut up. She gave me the directions and my schedule, so I thanked her and left.

We arrived at the daycare just as Caiden decided he wanted to wake up. A middle aged blonde woman came up to me, smiling.

"Hello," she said. "My name is Terri Grant. Who's this?" She held her hands out to Caiden, who shrank into me with a whimper. I cringed.

"This is my brother Caiden," I told her. "Um, he doesn't like to be touched." I looked at her, trying to see her reaction. When the smile faltered a bit, I decided to go ahead with the rest. _Just like ripping off a band-aid._ "And he doesn't speak," I sighed. "Do you think you could still watch him? He understands people, so he can give yes or no answers. If you really need to pick him up, ask him. Explain to him that it's going to be just for a second, so you can put him somewhere that he can't reach. Is that okay?"

Terri gave me a tentative nod, then stepped back to let me walk in. I handed her Caiden's diaper bag and watched as she put it away. I set Caiden on the floor and stood up to rest my back as he clung to my leg. When he began crying to be picked up, I sat down on the floor next to him.

"It's just for a little while, sweetie," I told him. "I have to go to do my things; I'm not allowed to stay home. Can you be a good boy for me?" When he nodded, I hugged him tightly. "You behave, and make sure you listen to Terri, okay? She'll come get me if you need me, but I'll get in trouble if you make me come here too much so try to have fun. I love you."

With that, I kissed the top of his head and stood up.

"Seriously, if _anything_ happens, you come get me," I told Terri quietly. "I mean anything. He was moved here from the other side of the country, and we've only been here for two days so he's not quite adjusted yet. I couldn't miss anymore school though, and our uncle is too busy to babysit all day." I gave her a copy of my schedule and the location of my locker, and wished her luck. With one last look at my little brother, who was looking around the room curiously, I sniffed and left.

**A/N: Next up: Bella's first day of school! Will Caiden have any issues in a brand new daycare? Will Edward need to be called in? Reviews inspire me to update faster! :-)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

**BPOV**

After leaving Caiden in daycare, I headed to my first class: Algebra II. It was a little too early for math in my opinion, but luckily it was my favorite subject. As I walked the halls, I could still feel the stares on me. Suddenly, people began gawking.

_Awkward._

When I turned my head toward a familiar voice, I realized partially why people were gawking. Jasper had appeared by my side, walking as though he belonged there. I didn't know how he did it, but he looked even better in the morning.

"Hello? Are you in there?" he asked, waving a hand in front of my face.

"Huh?" was my brilliant response. My face flushed red as I realized I had been caught ogling him, and he smirked as if to prove my point.

"I asked what your first class was," said Jasper.

"Oh. Algebra II. What's yours?"

"English," he said with a grimace. I chuckled; it was one of my worst subjects too.

"That sucks. I didn't know you went to school here," I said.

"Yeah. I'm a freshman, just like you. What lunch do you have?" I checked my schedule.

"Fifth lunch."

"Me too. If I don't see you before, then I'll see you at lunch. Here's your class." Jasper motioned with his head toward the door of my classroom. _Wow, that walk went quick,_ I thought to myself.

"Thanks. Have fun in English," I said with a wicked smile. I checked my schedule; English was my next class, and I bit back a groan.

Math and English both passed by quickly, and before I knew it I was on my way to the lunchroom. Jasper again caught up with me in the hall, and again people were gawking.

"So I have a question," I stated as we made our way to the lunch line. "Why is it that when I'm alone I get stared at, but when you're with me people's jaws drop?"

"Well, the reason you get stared at is becau- OW!" I punched him in the arm.

"I _know_ why I'm stared at, dipshit. Why is there a much bigger reaction when you're with me though?" I laughed.

"You're the first person I've willingly talked to since 7th grade," he mumbled. Now I was the one gawking.

"Why?"

"I have my reasons," said Jasper, his eyes looking anywhere but at my face.

"Okay. So what class do you have after lunch?"

"History," he said, seemingly relieved for the subject change.

"Me too! I have Christenson; please tell me you do too."

"Yup. He's a bit of a dick, but he's fair. He always goes over little stories in the newspaper at the start of class, and when he asks a question he usually answers it himself without giving one of us a chance to. He's mostly just annoying; be grateful you don't have him last period. I heard he kept his last class late one time because he wasn't done with his 'current events'," he laughed. I just stared. That was the most he had ever said to me at once.

When the bell rang, we threw our trash in the can and headed to History. Luckily, since Jasper was such a recluse, he had an empty desk next to him. I loved History, but I was so awful at remembering things. I hoped Jasper would maybe help me out if I got stuck.

"So did the Boston Tea Party actually take place in Boston? Anyone? That's right students, it di-"

"Bella? Bella, you need to come, quickly!" Mr. Christenson was interrupted by the woman I never wanted to see in the middle of a class: Terri.

I shot Jasper a terrified glance, then took off. I had a feeling he would explain my disappearance to the teacher.

"What happened?" I asked quickly, as we rushed toward the daycare.

"Our new aid tried to pick up Caiden. She was late today, and I hadn't had a chance to tell her to just leave him alone and she picked him up and he went crazy! We couldn't calm him down; I didn't know what to do! Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry!" she wailed.

"Don't sweat it. He should be fine once we get there…" I trailed off as the door came into view, and I heard Caiden screaming. I picked up my pace to a run and burst through the door. Caiden was bright red with tears rolling down his face, sitting in a corner. The woman standing near him; who I assumed was the aid, was trying to talk him into calming down. I shoved past her and grabbed my brother, picking him up and burying my face in his neck.

"Shh, Caiden, it's okay," I murmured. "I've got you, I'm here now. I'm so sorry, baby, I am. Can you forgive me?" His screams quieted a little, but the cries never stopped. I walked away from the others, making sure they stayed where they were. I took Caiden into a deserted corner, and rubbed his back as I began to sing.

_Midnight moonlight shining through the curtain lace,  
Paints a perfect picture on your perfect face.  
One sweet angel, sleeping in my arms;  
You are the promise I knew God would keep.  
You are the gift that makes my world complete.  
And you'll never know how much I love you,  
But I'll keep on telling you my whole life through.  
Now I believe in miracles, and you're the reason why,  
So dream on, while I sing you my Angel's Lullaby._

That was the only song ever that could calm Caiden down regardless of his predicament. Of course, it would only work if I was the one singing it; even when our Mom and Phil were alive. When I finished singing, I realized Caiden was almost asleep so I continued talking to him softly.

"I'm so sorry, baby, I'm here now. It will never happen again, I promise you. Everything's going to be okay. I love you," I spoke into his hair. I lifted my head to see where the women had gone. The aid was smiling apologetically at me, happy that Caiden was feeling better. Terri was smiling too, but not at me. I turned my head to see what she was smiling at, and my eyes widened when I saw him.

**A/N: The song above is "Angel's Lullaby" by Reba McEntire.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So yeah, last chapter when I was describing Jasper and Bella's history teacher, I was actually describing mine from freshman year. Unfortunately, I did have him last and almost missed the bus because he thought the deaths of Iraqis was more important than us getting home on time…never mind the fact that some of us lived a good 30 minutes from school (driving). Anywho…**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

_What could a guy like me  
Ever really offer?_

_- She's So High, Tal Bachman_

**JPOV**

Christenson was in the middle of one of _the_ most boring lectures I had ever heard when some chick burst through the door.

"Bella? Bella, you need to come, quickly!"

_What the hell?_

Bella shot me a terrified glance and bolted out the door. When the shock left, everyone turned to look at me. Including the teacher.

"Do you have any idea why Ms. Swan would just randomly leave my classroom?" he asked me.

"Not that it's any of your business; but yes, yes I do," I retorted. I could hear the shocked giggles around me. I grabbed my books and shoved them in my bag, doing the same with Bella's. As I stood up, Christenson tried again.

"Well, would you be willing to let me know?" I thought for a minute.

"No, not really. If you're going to find out, it's going to be Bella who tells you." With that, I left.

I walked down the hallway at a normal pace, not wanting to interrupt whatever Bella would be doing. When I reached the door to the daycare, I took a deep breath and pushed it open. The sight before me was unreal.

Bella was singing to her brother and calming him down with a touch that nobody else could have had. He clung to her like she was his lifeline, and if I thought about it, she probably was. Ignoring the pain in my heart, I dropped her bag quietly next to Caiden's things. When I lifted my head again, she was staring at me in shock. I shrugged my shoulders, not wanting her to make more out of my actions. I turned and sat down in a chair by the door, waiting to find out what was going to happen.

For some reason completely unknown to me, I felt as though I would have moved the sun and the earth just to not leave her alone.

**BPOV**

He looked a little guilty, his face a little hard, and his eyes were filled with love and pain. I had no idea what had warranted any of those emotions, so I decided to concentrate on Caiden instead. I knew from experience that although he would be sleeping, he would freak out even worse if he woke up in a strange place. I sighed.

I had two options: I could ditch my last class and bring Caiden home, or I could go to my last class with him and hope he slept the entire time. I decided on option two, since I was determined to get the best grades possible despite my responsibilities.

I whispered a "thank you" and "don't worry about it" to Terri and her aid, and made my way to where Jasper was sitting.

"What are you doing here?" I asked quietly. He shrugged, still looking guilty and in pain.

"I walked out minutes after you did. Christenson wanted me to tell him where you went, but I told him it was none of his business and if you wanted him to know, you'd tell him. I brought you your stuff," he added. Sure enough, my bag was right next to Caiden's diaper bag.

"Thanks," I said, truly grateful.

"So, are we ditching or what?" We? For some reason, the fact that he had automatically included himself warmed my belly.

_Get _over_ this, Bella. He despises children, remember? Like your brother…_

I ignored my inner ramblings and answered Jasper.

"Actually, I was going to go to Science now. I really need to keep my grades up, and Caiden should sleep right through it."

"Sure, I'll walk you then. Who've you got?"

"I have…Smithson," I answered, checking my schedule.

"Awesome," he grinned. "I do too. So at least we have half the day together, right?"

"Right," I agreed. The bell to end what would have been our History class rang, and we waited for everyone to file out of our Science class. When it was empty save the teacher, we walked in. Jasper dropped our bags at our seats while I tried to explain myself to Mr. Smithson.

"So you see, sir, I can't leave him there. He'll be quiet, I promise. And if he's not, I'll leave as soon as he starts something," I swore.

"It's fine," he sighed. "Go sit down."

We had already taken our seats when I realized my predicament.

"Jasper," I began. He looked at me out of the corner of his eyes. "I have to go to the bathroom," I said simply.

"So? What are you telling me for?" he asked, looking confused.

"Jazz, I can't really go with a sleeping toddler in my arms…" I trailed off, praying I wouldn't need to explain this to him.

**JPOV**

She called me Jazz. She fucking called me Jazz. How the fuck could I say no to that sweet voice calling me Jazz?

**BPOV**

He looked pained, and then held out his arms to take Caiden.

"He better not wake up while you're gone," he hissed. I smiled grimly and took off.

As I was walking down the hall, I heard the most cutting voice.

"How's the baby, _Bella_?" sneered Lauren.

"Fine," I said absently, wondering if she would follow me into the girl's room. Apparently she would, and she did.

"You know, it takes a real stupid girl to get pregnant at twelve," she tried again.

I sighed. "That's nice," I said as I washed my hands. "Thank God I wasn't that stupid, huh?" I flashed her a grin and a wink, leaving her baffled when I walked out the door.

I made my way back to the classroom, fully expecting to be taking Caiden back almost before I sat down. The bell rang just as I reached the door. It was _loud_ at this end of the building. Walking into the classroom, I was met with a sight I never thought I'd see.

Caiden was awake in Jasper's arms, clapping and giggling as Jasper tickled him.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I'm astounded by all the reviews I received last chapter! Thank you so much, guys!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, or (unfortunately) Jasper.**_

_When you're in trouble,  
That crooked little smile  
Melts my heart of stone.  
I look at you,  
I turn around,  
And you've almost grown._

_-My Little Girl, Tim McGraw_

**BPOV**

I stood in the door way of my science class, just staring at my brother laughing in Jasper's arms.

_I thought he hated children._

_I thought Caiden hated other people._

_What the hell happened to make these two least likely people change their ways for each other?_

"Ms. Swan, would you please take your seat?" asked Mr. Smithson. I nodded mutely as Jasper looked up at me. In his eyes, for one split second, I saw nothing but joy and love. Then, as though he realized I could read his emotions from them, his eyes hardened and he picked up Caiden so my brother was standing on his knees.

"Here," he said roughly, "take the kid back now. I got better things to do than make a toddler happy when I'm in school."

I reached out to Caiden, giving Jasper a small smile as I did so. Caiden came over happily, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Settling my brother on my lap, I ripped a page out of my notebook and dug a crayon out of my bag. He was content to sit there for the whole hour and just draw, occasionally cooing.

When the bell rang, I threw my books in my bag as quickly as I could. I set Caiden on the floor while I packed up, asking him to stay still. When I looked up again, I panicked. Caiden was gone!

He had never, ever left the spot I had put him in, especially if I asked him to stay there. I sighed with relief when I heard his giggling behind me.

"Caiden Matthew! I asked you to _stay_ where you were-" I cut myself off when I turned and saw Jasper holding my brother yet again.

"Lose something?" he asked, amused.

"Yes, actually, but now that you've found him we can leave. C'mon, kiddo," I said, holding out my hands for him. He leaned over and I took him out of Jasper's grasp.

Jasper walked with us to the parking lot. As he headed for his car, I headed for the road.

"Where are you going?" he called out from behind me. I turned, confused.

"Walking home?" I said it as a question.

"Why?"

"Because I don't feel like sleeping at school?" What was it with me and my question-answers?

"Come on, I'll give you a lift." I looked at Caiden, who giggled and clapped, and I shrugged. Why not?

I held Caiden in my lap in the front seat, situating the seat belt so that it covered both of us but wouldn't hurt my brother if he was shoved against it.

"So why were you walking?" asked Jasper.

"Edward wasn't able to get out of work in time to pick us up, so I told him not to worry about it. Tomorrow I'll be bringing a stroller, though," I said, rolling my eyes. I was just happy I didn't have to carry Caiden all the way home.

"Tomorrow you'll be getting a ride from me," corrected Jasper. "In the morning, too. Be ready," he added as he pulled into our driveway.

"Jazz, it takes less time to walk than it does to drive," I told him. "Seriously…you see the library? The school is right there." I pointed just past the library, and he looked.

"Well then…" he trailed off, looking frustrated. "I'll come here and we'll walk to school together." He glared at me, challenging me to make up another excuse. I shrugged. Who was I to deny the company of the hottest guy in school?

"Sure, sure," I said. "Be here by seven. I leave at five past, with or without you." I gave him a cheeky grin and got out of the car.

I waved to him as he pulled out of the driveway, and shifted Caiden on my hip so I could grab my keys.

"Hey Biggie!"

I turned, wondering who the hell "Biggie" was. I saw a guy who looked about seven feet tall, and three hundred pounds.

_Guess that answers that question._

"Yo!" he called to the other guy. The other guy was shorter, had greasy black hair and tattoos all over his bare arms. _Gross_.

I briefly wondered if they made up a gang, but shook that thought out of my head. _A gang in Bedford? Yeah…in the wannabe's dreams. _I laughed at that thought.

I unlocked the door and carried Caiden in, setting him on the floor with my bags. He ran into the living room and I followed, pulling some of his toys out. We hadn't had a "therapy session" in a while, so I sat down with him.

He didn't actually have therapy, since I was adamant about doing things myself; so what actually happened most of the time was I would sit on the floor with him and some of his toys, trying to get him to speak. The touching therapy would come whenever there was a close friend or family member around, to try and get him to be okay with people we knew touching him. It never worked…before today.

_What had Jasper done that had Caiden giggling, let alone not freaking out?_

I sat down, grabbing a multi-colored toy. I picked up the blue piece, and began.

"What color is this, Caiden? Can you tell me?" He grabbed for it, and promptly began playing with it. I tried another tactic.

"Can you tell me your name? Can you say 'Cay-din'?" My poor little brother just looked at me as though I had three heads and proceeded playing.

I sighed. This was just too much to handle today. _I'll continue tomorrow_, I thought as I got up to start dinner. Just as I rounded the corner, Caiden let out an earsplitting scream.

"Mama!"


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: It's kind of annoying when I get like 15 emails saying "Favorite story" or "Story alert", but no review from it. Unless y'all know something I don't, you have to click the review button in order to add this to your favorite or alert list…right? Just saying…lol a little mini rant :-) **

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

_Just between you and me,  
I've got something to say  
Wanna get it straight,  
Before the sun goes down_

_-Between You and Me, DC Talk_

**BPOV**

I raced back into the living room, completely unsure of what I would do. When I got there, Caiden was engrossed in the T.V. He had hit the power button on the remote that I had forgotten to put away, and on the screen was a toddler and a woman whom I would assume was his mother.

Just then, Caiden turn toward me and lifted his little arms to be picked up.

"Mama," he said proudly. I froze. Sitting down next to him, I tried my hardest to keep the tears at bay.

"I'm Bella," I said softly. "I'm your sister, not your mama."

Caiden's face crumpled for a moment, before he shook his head. "Mama," he repeated stubbornly. I sighed quietly, feeling my heart break as I lifted him up. I had a hunch that my baby brother was trying to tell me something, but couldn't find the words. He was as smart as any two year old; possibly even smarter, and I knew it. He just wouldn't talk…before today, anyways.

I put Toy Story in the VCR and sat on the couch with Caiden. He snuggled up to me and stuck his thumb in his mouth as he watched his favorite movie intently. By the time Edward walked in the door, Caiden was fast asleep in my lap.

"Hey," I said quietly, alerting him to my sleeping brother. He smiled at the sight of us, and dropped his things quietly in the dining room. He came over to sit next to us, glancing at the T.V.

"How was your day?" he asked gently. I shrugged.

"It was alright," I said. "They thought Caiden was my son, but I didn't really care enough to correct them."

Edward made a face. "From what I remember of high school, the girls there could be a living hell," he laughed. I nodded.

"One of them was saying something about how stupid girls get pregnant at twelve…I just told her I was glad I wasn't stupid and then walked away. You should have seen the look on her face," I giggled.

Just then, Caiden woke up. He rubbed his eyes and glanced at Edward, then looked at me.

"Mama," he said. Edward's eyes widened as he looked from Caiden's face to mine.

"Is that-? Did he-? Is he-?" He couldn't seem to figure out which question he wanted to ask first, so I decided to go easy on him.

"Yes, that's his first word. Yes, he spoke. Yes, he's calling me 'mama'," I said sadly.

"That's great!" said Edward, grinning. I shot him a look, and he sobered instantly. "Wait, he called you 'mama'." I sighed.

"Yeah, he did," I said. "And I don't know what to do about it. I mean, he needs a mother and all, but I don't think I can be it. He deserves someone who can be there for him like a mother should, not some fifteen year old kid in high school. I want to be his sister again," I said quietly, studying Caiden. "I liked being his sister."

"I'm sorry," Edward whispered. I stared at him confusedly until he elaborated. "I'm sorry that your parents had to leave you at such a young age. No fifteen year old should be saddled with raising her brother. And I'm sorry for the mistakes I've made, and for the mistakes I'm going to make. I'll do the best I can, but I don't know anything about kids. It's kind of hard, too, when the kid doesn't let anyone but you touch him."

"And Jasper," I said absently, still thinking about his apologies.

"He let Jasper touch him? Jasper touched him?!" _Here comes the confusion again._

"Yes, Jasper touched him. Yes, he let Jasper touch him. In fact, Jasper was holding him and Caiden was laughing," I said. "And after class when I put him down, he ran straight for Jasper. I wonder why that is," I mused to myself.

"But Jasper _hates_ children," said Edward, baffled. "Like, he seriously despises them. He hasn't even gone near a child since-"

"Since what?" I asked, ignoring the pang I felt in my heart. There would be more time to figure that out later.

"Never mind," he mumbled. "It's not my place to tell you. Please understand." I nodded; I did understand.

"Do you want to try?" I asked Edward. When he nodded, I continued. "Just hold out your hands as if asking him if he'll let you pick him up, but don't actually touch him." He did, and Caiden just looked at him warily.

"Will you let Uncle Edward hold you?" I asked my brother. He said and did nothing; just stared at Edward's hands. "He's not going to hurt you," I told him. "He's your uncle; he's family." Edward inched his hands closer, and Caiden let out a small whimper, pressing himself further into me.

"Okay, it's okay. No more for now," I said to Edward with a sigh. "Thanks, though." I set Caiden on the floor after convincing him that Edward wasn't going to try and touch him again. He sat happily, playing with his toys and watching his movie.

I went into the kitchen and made dinner. Steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans for me and Edward; chicken nuggets and carrots for Caiden. I let Caiden feed himself, and I just wiped him down thoroughly when he was done. I was too tired to give him a bath.

I changed him into his pajamas and put him to bed. He had done really well with sleeping in his new bed on his own. I went into my room and changed quickly, flopping onto my bed when I was done.

"Mama?" I turned toward my doorway, and there stood Caiden, looking very small.

"Come here, baby," I sighed, patting the spot next to me. He raced over and crawled into bed as quickly as he could, snuggling up to me once he was in. "I love you," I whispered, just as I succumbed to sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Jasper/Caiden fluff! You're gonna love it! (I hope)**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

_This world will never be  
What I expected,  
And if I don't belong,  
Who would have guessed it?_

_-Never Too Late, Three Days Grace_

**BPOV**

I woke up just before my alarm went off and just watched Caiden for a few minutes. He was sleeping so soundly, curled around the side of my body with his head on my arm. He looked so serene, and once again I thought about just how much he realized was going on around him. Just then, in that quiet moment, I decided I would let him call me "Mama" if it made him happy.

I shut my alarm off before it could ring and wake up my brother harshly, and then proceeded to gently shake him awake.

"Caiden, it's time to get up baby." He stirred, and then opened his eyes. They landed on mine, his filled with sleep and mine with love; and I smiled at him, loving him more every time I saw him.

I left him in my bed to take his time waking up as I got dressed, pulling on jeans and a t-shirt. I snuck into Edward's room (thankfully, he was already gone for the day) and grabbed an old sweatshirt of his. I wasn't in the mood to dress up today, but instead I just wanted to be comfortable.

After I got Caiden ready to go but before we left, I made a recording of his song in my voice in case he needed it while I was gone. I couldn't be running to the daycare center every time he was upset, or I'd never be able to go to class. I put the recording on my iPod and shoved it into his diaper bag.

"If you're upset at all today, just point to the bag and Terri will put this song on, okay?" I asked, picking him up and placing him in the stroller. He nodded, watching my every move. "Are you going to be a good boy today?" I asked gently, smoothing down his unruly hair. He nodded again.

It was 7:04 when I locked up the house. As soon as the key turned in the lock, I heard a car pulling into the driveway. I turned to see the monster truck that had carried our purchases from the Burlington Coat Factory to the house, Jasper in the driver's seat.

"That's yours?" I said, my mouth hanging open.

"That old thing?" he questioned, looking over his shoulder at the beautiful beast. "Yep." He had a smirk on his face, and I wanted nothing more than to kiss it off.

_Where the hell did that thought come from?_

"So, are we ready to go?" he asked, glancing at Caiden. My brother turned his head and looked at Jasper, a grin slowly making its way across his face. I was suddenly very nervous.

"Daddy!" he squealed. Jasper's face drained of all blood, just as mine pooled it.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath as I crouched to face Caiden. "That's not your daddy," I said firmly, praying he wouldn't argue. "His name is Jasper. _Not_ Daddy." His face crumpled, just as it had when I tried to tell him I wasn't "Mama". _Shit. Shit, shit, shit._

"Daddy?" he whimpered, looking up at Jasper. I closed my eyes, praying Jasper wouldn't hate me. To my surprise I felt him crouch next to me, reaching to let Caiden play with his fingers.

"Sure, I'll be Daddy," he said quietly. When I looked at him in shock, he shrugged. "What can it hurt? It makes the kid happy for the day, and we can deal with it over the weekend, right?" I shook my head.

"It'll only get worse if we wait," I told him. Jasper looked thoughtful, then glanced at Caiden.

"If I agree to let you call me Daddy when there's no one but me and-"

"Mama," I interrupted. He looked at me, and I cleared my throat. "He calls me 'Mama'." Jasper nodded a little shakily.

"Okay, so if there's no one but me and M-Mama around, you can call me Daddy. If there is anyone else around, can you call me Jasper instead?" To my utmost surprise, Caiden nodded. I knelt down next to Jasper.

"Can you say his name?" I asked quietly. "Can you say 'Jas-per'?"

"Daster," Caiden announced proudly.

"Well shit," I said quietly. "That's the third word he's said in his entire life, and two of them were names for you. You should feel proud." I elbowed Jasper gently and laughed nervously.

I didn't think anything else could surprise me today; I was sadly mistaken. Jasper followed us to the daycare center, humungous grin on his face the entire time. After I gave Caiden a hug and a kiss goodbye, I went to talk to Terri for a moment. As I was telling her about the iPod and the song that was set to automatically play on repeat, I glanced over at my brother.

He was in the arms of Jasper, who was making funny faces at my brother. Caiden was giggling uncontrollably. Terri followed my gaze, and smiled when she saw the scene.

"Is he a brother as well?" she asked me. It took me a moment to get what she meant.

"Jasper? No, he's a family friend. For some reason Caiden is quite taken with him…" I trailed off, silently cheering as Caiden hugged Jasper around his neck. Jasper put Caiden on the floor, and crouched to talk to him.

"Now, remember what I told you," he said. "If you're a good boy today, maybe we can go out for ice cream after school. Does that sound good?" Caiden nodded enthusiastically, and Jasper smiled. "Okay, we'll see you in a little bit, Buddy. Have fun!"

As Jasper and I reached the door, we turned and waved to my brother.

"Daster!" he called, waving back. "Mama!" I blushed, and Jasper grinned as we walked to my first period class.

"I never thought I would find a kid I'd like," he mused out loud. I glanced at him sideways.

"I don't want to bring your mood down," I hesitated.

"Go on," he said, still jovial.

"Would you tell me sometime, why you hate children so much?" A far away glaze covered his eyes, but only for a few seconds. He turned and smiled at me.

"Sure will," he said. "After school, when we take Caiden for ice cream. That sound okay to you?" I nodded, and Jasper held my hand the entire way to Algebra.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: And now, the moment you've all been waiting for…the one…the only…Jasperrrrrr Whitlock!!!! Lol yes, as you've probably figured out, this is where you all learn about his hatred for children.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I am proud to say that Caiden is mine!**_

_Baby, why'd you leave me,  
Why'd you have to go?  
I was counting on forever,  
Now I'll never know_

_-Just a Dream, Carrie Underwood_

**BPOV**

The rest of the day passed by, mostly uneventful. There were whispers and stares; even more than there had been yesterday, since Jasper refused to let go of my hand. I didn't mind it though.

When we (yes, _we_) went to pick up Caiden, Terri told us that she had only had to play his song once. He had calmed down immediately, but from then on had refused to let go of the iPod. That was fine with me; I rarely used it anyway.

Caiden ran for "Daster" as soon as he saw him, forsaking whatever it was that he was drawing. I stood by awkwardly, deciding to get out his stroller while they greeted each other. I was incredibly happy with the strides my brother had been making in the past day, but it still felt…odd, to not be the only one he trusted. I would have to get used to it though, and I didn't think I'd mind.

We walked to Bedford Farms, the little ice cream shop down the road. It only took us about ten minutes to get there; and that was at a slow pace. Jasper got a vanilla soft serve, I got chocolate chip cookie dough in a bowl, and we got Caiden his favorite – bubble gum soft serve. I preferred a cone, but it would have melted before I could finish it, since I had to help Caiden eat his as well.

I made a face when Jasper ordered vanilla, and he playfully sneered at me. "What?"

"That's gross," I said bluntly. "It's so _plain_." I said the last word as though it was a curse, and Jasper laughed.

"Yours has vanilla in it, too," he pointed out. I sniffed.

"Yes, but mine also has chocolate chips and cookie dough. Yours is just so…empty," I said sadly, staring at his cone. He shrugged.

"I like vanilla," he said simply, and proceeded to bite the ice cream. I gaped, but shut my mouth quickly, not wanting to prolong our conversation anymore.

"Still want to hear about why I don't like kids?" he sighed. I nodded hesitantly.

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine," I said quietly. He shook his head.

"I think it would be better if I could just get it out," he said. "I haven't told anyone what happened; the people who know only do because they were there."

I silently vowed not to interrupt him, and he began.

"I was twelve years old. I lived with my parents, Peter and Charlotte. They were wonderful people, and so very much in love. I remember watching the two of them dancing in the living room with no music, after they thought I had gone to sleep.

My mom came up to me one day, and explained that I was going to have a little brother or sister. She said she was about three months along. I was a little nervous at first, since I had been an only child for twelve years. I wasn't sure I wanted to share my parents with someone else.

About three months later, my mom went to the doctor. He told her she was having a girl, and Peter was disgusted. He wanted a boy. I later learned that he wasn't my real father; my biological father had been sent to prison for attempted murder before I was born. He had tried to kill my mother while she was pregnant with me.

My mother was excited; she loved me very much, but I knew she always wanted a girl as well. I couldn't really blame her; I was thrilled to be getting a little sister to watch over. A month later, she had a name picked out: Nevaeh Star Whitlock. I thought it was the perfect name, and she cried when I told her so.

Unfortunately, Nevaeh came early; two months early, to be exact. She had the cord wrapped around her neck. She survived the labor; my mother did not. Nevaeh later died, due to the loss of oxygen and the fact that her lungs weren't properly matured.

Peter was pissed. He blamed me for their deaths, despite the fact that he never wanted Nevaeh to begin with. 'You were supposed to protect your mother,' he said. 'You were supposed to keep her safe'. Never a word about my sister, his daughter.

He continued saying things like that for another year and a half after the funeral, eventually graduating me to beatings. I never said a word back; I just stood there and took it like the man he said I was supposed to be.

After a while, I needed to place the blame on someone. I chose Nevaeh. After all, if she hadn't gotten the cord wrapped around her neck, my mother wouldn't have died. If she hadn't insisted on coming so early, she wouldn't have died. If both of them had lived, or maybe even one of them, perhaps Peter wouldn't have abused me so much.

Ever since then, I've refused to even go near a child. In fact, Caiden is the first person under the age of fifteen that I've spoken to. You're the first person under the age of thirty," he concluded with a wink, trying to lighten the mood.

By this time our ice cream was finished, and I was thankful. I threw myself at him, hugging him tightly.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, wishing I could find more adequate words. He hugged me back tightly, not saying anything.

"Daddy, I sorry," Caiden whispered, looking close to tears. He didn't really know why he was sorry, I could tell. But he knew that I had said it, and he knew Jasper was upset.

That was the moment I fell in love with Jasper Whitlock.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: My apologies for the long wait, I've been terribly sick. Also, I've been a bit insecure in my writing skills, due to…something happening. Anyways, here's the chapter! Twilight loser, I will be taking some of your thoughts into consideration in the near future ;-) Thanks for your ideas!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

**BPOV**

I loved the fact that Jasper was willing to open up to me, especially since we hadn't known each other that long. I decided that since I now knew I was in love with him, I was going to make it my personal mission to get him to realize he loved me too. But that could start later. For now, I wanted to hear the rest of his story.

"So, what happened to Peter?" I asked hesitantly, afraid to break his good mood. Jasper sighed, then set Caiden on his lap and proceeded to play quietly with him while he spoke.

"He was drunk one day, and broke my jaw in a fit of rage. He also gave me a black eye, and cut my head with a broken beer bottle." He lifted his hair up enough so that I could see the faint pink scar almost outlining his hairline, and I brought my hands up to let my fingers ghost over it. Without thinking, I trailed my fingers down the side of his face, moving my eyes from his scar to his own blue eyes.

The instant our eyes met, I snapped out of whatever trance I had been in and jerked my hand away, sitting up straight. I cleared my throat.

"I'm sorry, continue. Please," I added as an afterthought. Jasper gave me an odd look, but did as I asked.

"Once he had passed out, I scrounged up all the energy that was left in me and crawled out of my house. We lived on a road that almost never had traffic, but our neighbors were almost always out and about. A few of them saw me crawl out, and I was rushed to the hospital.

Peter is behind bars, and I hope he stays there. I had the option of living with my mother's sister Rosalie, or a great-grandfather in Texas. I was tired of the state and everything it represented in my life so I picked Rose.

I'm really glad I did," he added with a small smile. I smiled back, thrilled at the thought that I made him happy.

"So, tell me about your life," he requested as we stood up to throw our trash away. I delayed by trying to put Caiden in the stroller, but my stubborn little brother threw a tantrum. After about three minutes of ignoring his tantrum, I finally conceded – but only because Jasper offered to carry him while I pushed the empty stroller. My heart melted at his offer, and I found the words pouring out of my mouth.

"Well, about three years ago, my mom married Phil and they had Caiden. My mom was kind of harebrained," I laughed. "But Phil really kept her in line. He was great when Caiden was an infant, but even though I hadn't wanted to play 'mother' to him, I still ended up helping Phil with him. I didn't mind, don't get me wrong," I said hastily. "I ended up falling in love with the little guy as soon as I saw him, so it was all okay." I smiled fondly at Caiden, who gave me a toothy grin in return.

"That must have been difficult," Jasper murmured quietly. "This 'Phil' guy, he wasn't your dad?" I shook my head.

"My father died when I was five. Phil was actually the guy who came and told us about it, since my dad was shot in the line of duty. Phil was new to the job, and my father's death was the first time he had ever had to break that kind of news to the surviving family. My mother knew, though. When she saw Phil at the door, she knew it was about my dad." I looked back at those times thoughtfully, as I no longer burst into tears wishing my father was still here. I knew it was futile to wish such a thing, and so I only remembered and loved him but never cried anymore.

"What happened in between the time your dad died and your mom married Phil?" asked Jasper. I shrugged.

"I pretty much raised myself, and took care of my mom in the process. It wasn't that hard," I told him. "It was just…lonely, I guess. I never really had time for friends or anything like that."

Jasper shifted Caiden to his left arm and wrapped his right around my waist as we walked. I reveled in being so close to him, although I doubted that he felt the same about me.

**JPOV**

It felt good talking about my past to Bella. Somehow I felt like she understood me, like she'd never judge me. And when Caiden apologized to me without knowing why he was saying it, I just about broke down sobbing.

Walking back to Bella's house with her and Caiden, it felt like we were a family. I felt protective of Bella, and I had this need to make sure that she and Caiden were happy and safe. I wasn't sure of my feelings for her, and I had no desire to lead her on only to find that my feelings changed later on. I didn't want to lose Bella as my friend, and I definitely didn't want to lose Caiden as…as whatever he was to me.

I felt something for her; of that much I was sure. But there was just no way I could take that risk of losing Bella and Caiden. Too much of my sanity was suddenly based on their existence in my life.

We reached Bella's door and she invited me in. I complied, pretending that the only reason was because Caiden was falling asleep in my arms and threw another fit when Bella tried to take him.

"Daddy, no," he cried, over and over again, clinging to my neck. I held him tightly and rubbed his back, carrying him inside once I had given in to his pleas.

"It's okay Caiden," I murmured in his ear, "Daddy's right here. I'm not going anywhere." I noticed Bella watching me with an odd look on her face.

"What's up?" I questioned. She shook her head, seeming to come out of her trance.

"Nothing," she said, smiling a bit. "It's just cute." She blushed, and I grinned.

"So now I'm cute?" I teased. "It's bad enough I can't be considered hot, or sexy; no, instead I'm _cute_." Despite not believing it possible, her face became redder.

"You are sexy," mumbled Bella, so quietly I almost didn't hear her. For some unknown reason, my heart soared.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I want to apologize to all of you for not updating in so long. I recently received a PM asking if I was going to continue this story, and I realized that I had completely forgotten about it! Shame on me! Lol so if y'all don't hate me, here's the next chapter :-)**

**This chapter is dedicated to ****sghb716**** for reminding me and kicking my ass in gear :-)**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

_Feeling weak and weary  
Walking through this world alone  
And everything they say, every word of it  
Cuts me to the bone (And I bleed)  
I've got something to say but now  
I've got nowhere to turn  
It feels like I've been buried underneath  
All the weight of the world_

_-Changes, 3 Doors Down_

**BPOV**

I woke up earlier than usual again today, and snuck into Caiden's room to watch him sleep. Just before six thirty rolled around, my brother's door creaked open and Edward stuck his head in. His eyes widened when he saw me in there and his mouth made a little "o" shape. I grinned and got up to follow him into the hallway.

"What exactly were you up to, mister?" I asked, laughing quietly.

"I check on him before I leave sometimes," said Edward with a guilty look on his face. "If he's awake I figured I'd bring him into your room…" he trailed off, looking anywhere but at my face. I launched myself at him suddenly, wrapping my arms around his torso.

"Thank you," I said quietly as his arms enveloped me. "You've done so much for both of us just by being there, and I have no idea how to show you how much it means to us. So thank you."

"It's not a problem, kiddo," he said. "I kind of like having you guys here." He grinned and I pinched him playfully as I pulled away.

"We kind of like being here," I laughed. "Listen, do you have plans for tomorrow?" Tomorrow was Saturday and I had every intention of enlisting Jasper to help me figure out what I could do to thank Edward.

"I don't think so," he said thoughtfully. "Let me check my schedule, and I'll let you know tonight. Sound good?"

"Yup," I told him. "Have a fun day." I grinned and headed back to my room to get dressed. Caiden was sleeping late today, and I was making good use of the time while I could. I took a luxurious shower and by the time I was done fixing my hair, Caiden was awake.

"Hey little guy," I said happily as I dug through his dresser. "Did you sleep good?" Caiden nodded slightly, and I turned to look at him after pulling today's outfit out. "Are you going to speak today?" I asked him. A simple shake of the head answered me, and I felt my heart crack. "Why not?" I asked. "Are you feeling okay?" He responded with another shake of his head, and my heart cracked some more. "Can you tell me what's wrong?" My last question was completely ignored, and I sighed and dressed Caiden.

"Okay," I said to myself as I carried him downstairs to make a bowl of cereal. "It will be okay. Maybe today is just a onetime thing, or maybe Caiden's just getting sick. It's not a relapse, so it'll be okay." I had a difficult time convincing myself, but I hoped tomorrow would be better.

The doorbell rang, and I threw the bowl into the sink as I lifted Caiden up. "Come in," I hollered, trying to wrap a light jacked around my brother. It wasn't that cool out, but if he was getting sick I figured it would be better to be safe rather than sorry.

"Hey," said Jasper as he rounded the corner to the kitchen. "How's it going?"

"It's not," I said, frustrated. "Caiden might be coming down with something and refuses to speak today, and this jacket was _so_ not made for children." I stood up and took a deep breath, closing my eyes. The next thing I knew, Jasper was gently putting Caiden's arms in the sleeves. He lifted my brother up and rubbed my back, calming me down. I shot him a grateful smile.

"Thanks," I said quietly.

"Not a problem," said Jasper. "You guys ready to go?" I did a quick check of the house and my brother, nodding when I was done. "Alright. Where's the stroller?" I felt a guilty look cross my face.

"I want to carry him today," I mumbled. "He can get too cold in the stroller, and my body heat will help him. Plus he's going to be pretty whiny today, especially without me. I don't know how he's going to react if you're around, since he's never been sick since we met you."

"Okay," said Jasper, handing Caiden over to me. The poor little guy whimpered, but set his head on my shoulder and played with my hair on the way to school.

"Can you come over after school?" I asked Jasper. "I need to think of a way to thank Edward, but I can't think of anything. I figured you probably know him better than me…" I trailed off, embarrassed that my friend would know my own uncle better than I did.

"Sure, I can do that. I'll try and think of some things today, and we'll talk about it after school." We walked into the daycare center where I immediately sought out Terri.

"He's tired today, and he probably won't speak," I said to her. "I think my English class is going to be in the auditorium today, so if there's an emergency during second period you can get Jasper. He might be coming down with something, but I'm not sure, and since today's Friday I was hoping you could take him anyways." Terri looked at me with sympathy.

"We can take him," she said, "but we shouldn't. If he shows _any_ signs of being sick, I'm going to have to get one of you, okay?" I nodded, praying that Caiden would be okay at least until school was out.

I gave Caiden a kiss and left, already losing my happy mood from this morning. I felt an arm snake its way around my waist, and Jasper leaned in towards me as we walked.

"Are you okay?" he murmured. I nodded, unable to suppress a slight shiver that went through me at the feel of his breath fanning across my cheek. "Are you cold?" he asked, concerned.

"No," I managed to say. "Um, here's my class. I'll see you at lunch?"

"Definitely," said Jasper, still looking a bit confused. He waved and turned to walk away as I headed into my classroom.

"Shit," I muttered. "Jazz! Wait!" He turned in the hallway, ignoring the stares of other stragglers. "If you get the call that Caiden needs me, can you come get me?" He nodded, a smile breaking out on his face. I smiled back and went back into my classroom.

Algebra and English passed quickly, and so did lunch. We hadn't heard anything from Terri so far, and things were looking up. Or so I thought, until halfway through History.

"Bella, Jasper!" Terri's aid was standing at the door. Without thinking I took off, leaving my bag and my things on my desk with Jasper right on my heels.

The aid didn't say a word as we raced to the daycare, and I scooped Caiden up as soon as I saw him, checking him for marks. I found nothing but a red face and tears though.

"What happened?" I asked with no malice in my tone. Jasper was another story. He was standing between me and Terri with his fists clenched and his body tense. I tugged him back toward me gently by the back of his shirt, and he relaxed when I wrapped my free arm around his waist.

"He was just tired," said Terri, sounding baffled. "I asked him if I could pick him up to put him in the crib and he shook his head 'no' so I pulled out a floor mat. When I asked him if he wanted to lay down on it, he again said no. They were only little tears at first, so I thought he just needed a nap. When I put the mat away, he started screaming, but wouldn't stop even when I put it back."

Caiden had stopped screeching, but was still sobbing as I held him. I sighed, partially in relief and partially in frustration. "Thank you," I said to Terri. "Don't worry, he's probably just sick."

We walked back to History, getting there just as the bell rang. We scooted into the classroom before anyone could block the door, and headed for our desks.

"Miss Swan and Mr. Whitlock, could I see the both of you for a moment when you're done please," Mr. Christenson called. My heart fell even more.

_The first week of school, and I'm already in trouble,_ I thought to myself.

We gathered our things, and made our way to the teacher's desk.

"Bella, Jasper, you two cannot just be running out of my classroom all the time," said the teacher. "It disrupts my class and your learning. If one of you must go, that is fine but the both of you cannot leave anymore." I shot him an incredulous look, but it was Jasper who spoke up.

"If there is something wrong with Caiden, Bella needs to go. Where Caiden is concerned, I go too. If you don't want both of us leaving your classroom, we could always bring Caiden here with us," he said with a glint in his eye.

Christenson glanced at my brother, who was steadily falling asleep on my shoulder. He sighed.

"Fine, whatever," he muttered.

"Come on," said Jasper as we left. "We're ditching." I nodded, to emotionally exhausted to put up a fight. We made it to my house and I put Caiden in the middle of my bed before I crawled in next to him. Jasper tucked us in and made a move to leave, but I grabbed his arm.

"Stay? Please," I begged. "I don't want to be alone."

"Aright," said Jasper. He sat down on the edge of the bed and rubbed my calf.

"Lay down?" I asked, feeling like I might cry if he denied me. He looked perplexed, but agreed. The two of us lay down on the bed with Caiden between us, and for the first time in a long time I felt like I had a family.

**A/N: Does anyone have any ideas about what Bella can do to thank Edward? I kind of have an idea, but I don't really like it.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I'm so overtired but not in the mood to sleep, so I'm a little grumpy and depressed. Just go with the flow…and don't hate me! All will be well, I promise!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

_Some say love, it is a river  
That drowns the tender reed  
Some say love, it is a razor  
That leaves your soul to bleed  
Some say love, it is a hunger  
An endless, aching need  
I say love, it is a flower,  
And you, it's only seed_

_-The Rose, Leanne Rimes_

I woke up to the sound of someone shushing someone else. I stirred a bit, but didn't make a move to open my eyes when I felt my bed stop moving. I groaned softly, and heard quiet laughter coming from the doorway.

"Shut _up_ Alice," growled a very sexy voice. "Can't you see they're sleeping?"

"Don't talk to my girlfriend like that," another voice piped in playfully. "She might kick your ass."

"Dude that's so true," boomed another voice. I heard three simultaneous "shh's" and a quiet "oops". I felt an unwanted smile cross my face as I tried to pry my eyes open.

"Now look what you did," said Jasper's irritated voice. "She needed her sleep you oaf."

"I'm fine," I croaked. I got one eye open and immediately shut it, attempting to bring the covers up over my head. Jasper was sitting on my bed with Caiden sleeping in his arms. Edward, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie were all standing in the doorway grinning at us. I cleared my throat, trying to make myself sound a bit more normal.

"Can I help you guys?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow at them as I came out from under the blanket.

"We're hungry," grinned Emmett. "Ow! What was that for, Rose? I was telling the truth!" I started laughing.

"Fine," I giggled, "if you all will excuse me while I wake up, I'll make you dinner."

"Sweet!" boomed Emmett. Even Alice sounded excited as she ushered everyone down the stairs.

"You don't have to make them dinner," said Jasper quietly when they were all gone. "We can just order pizza or something."

"That sounds really good," I said thoughtfully. "Besides, I was thinking of maybe doing a 'thank you BBQ' tomorrow for Edward. Do you think he'd like that?" Jasper grinned.

"We'd _all_ love that," he laughed. I smiled, and looked down at Caiden. He had stirred when everyone had stomped their way downstairs, and was just lying in Jasper's arms quietly.

"Hey baby," I said, rolling over so that my face was close to his. "Are you feeling any better?" He nodded and lunged at me, wrapping his arms around me. I tried to twist so that he wouldn't smash into my head, and I ended up lying with my head in Jasper's lap and Caiden snuggling me.

"Love you, Momma," he said quietly.

"I love you too, kiddo," I grinned. Suddenly Jasper cleared his throat, and I glanced up at his red face as he shifted himself slightly on the bed. It wasn't until he moved and I felt an obstruction under my head that I shot up, my face becoming redder than his. "Sorry," I mumbled.

"Not a problem. Uh, why don't I get Caiden changed while you get ready? I'll tell Edward to order a pizza on my way." He rushed out the door as he spoke, coming back when he realized he'd forgotten my brother.

When he was gone, I sat down on the bed.

_It was his zipper I felt under my head_, I told myself. _That's all. Just his zipper…but what would make his zipper poke my head? NO it was just his zipper. Just _something_. It doesn't matter what it was. I am _not_ going to think about this._

I shook my head to clear it and changed into a different outfit.

Dinner was uneventful, and everyone seemed to love the barbeque idea. It wasn't until I was in bed that night that I realized I missed the feeling of Jasper next to me.

The barbeque was a hit. Emmett ate about 40% of the food all by himself. I used Edward's CD collection for the music and threatened everyone if they complained even a little bit. They all knew I was trying to convey my appreciation for everything Edward had done, so they behaved. It seemed the guest of honor was sincerely enjoying himself, tossing a football with Emmett. I asked Edward to keep an eye on the grill while I went in the house for some more fruit salad.

I was popping a piece of watermelon in my mouth when I heard Edward's panicked voice.

"Caiden, no!" I bolted outside, only to see Edward lifting my brother away from the grill. I dropped the fruit salad and covered my hand with my mouth as I waited for Caiden's outburst…but it never came. Edward hadn't seemed to notice this as he was still crushing my brother to him gently, still looking scared.

"Edward," I said quietly. "Edward, it's okay. Look, Caiden's fine, and he likes you." I smiled as my brother reached up and patted his uncle's head.

"Eddie," he giggled. "Like Eddie." His grin was breathtaking, and Edward's matched it. All of us were watching the scene in silence, until Alice piped up.

"He gets to call you Eddie, but I can't?" she teased with a pout. It was exactly what the party needed; everyone was immediately talking and laughing again as I went back inside to clean up the mess. I came out to the grill to take the last of the food off, and noticed Jasper's sullen expression.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Nothing," he said quickly, looking away from Caiden playing with Edward. I smiled sadly.

"It's kind of heartbreaking, isn't it?" I said, standing next to him to watch my brother. "I mean, it makes you feel special when you're the only one he trusts, but a week later he's trusting someone else. Feel like you're being shoved aside?" I asked knowingly. A revelation seemed to come to Jasper as he looked at me.

"You're so strong," he whispered. "Here I am, pissed that someone else is taking his attention away from me; feeling unneeded because my 'son' likes someone else when he hasn't in two years. But you, you've actually been with him those two years and yet you were fine when he decided he wanted to make me his 'daddy'. How did you do it?"

I shrugged. "It was progress for him," I said bluntly. "Anything that makes his life better or easier, I can learn to deal with. And you love him. You do," I insisted when he tried to deny it. "I can see it; you love him like a father would his son, or like a brother." I smiled when he looked at me.

"It's okay," I said gently. "It's okay to love him. He loves you too, and his is the purest form of love. We'll always need you." I had stopped talking to him now, and was whispering more to myself as I watched my brother. I had all but forgotten Jasper was even there. "We'll always love you."

"I can't," he said suddenly. When I turned to look at him, his eyes were wide with fear. "_You_ can't," he accused. "You can't say that; you don't know what will happen. You can't know that one day you won't have to leave, or I won't. One of us will go, and I'll never see Caiden again. What happens to me then?"

I tried to explain. "I won't let it happen. Caiden needs you, Jazz. I need you too."

"No!" he shouted as he turned and ran from the house. In that moment, my heart broke completely.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Sorry for the wait y'all…I could not for the life of me think of what should come next.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

_So don't just say goodbye to me,  
Just turn your back away and leave,  
And if you're lucky,  
I will be your last regret, your only friend_

_-Inside Out, Yellowcard _

**EPOV**

"No!" was currently being screamed across my yard, and I turned my head as if in slow motion. I grabbed Caiden out of reflex, picking him up as I turned to face the noise. Jasper's panicked expression hit us all, as he bolted around the house and down the street. When I saw my niece's face crumble as though her heart was broken, my world suddenly seemed fast-paced again.

"Bella!" I called, running over to her. She wasn't making any noise, simply looking up at me with an incredible amount of sadness in her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks. Caiden wriggled out of my arms and knelt down by Bella, doing his best to crawl into her lap so he could comfort her. I grabbed him back and swung him around.

"Can you stay with Alice for a minute?" I asked him gently. The little boy nodded, seeming to understand the severity of the situation. Alice reached out and he leaned toward her, giving me a chance to get Emmett and Rose.

"I need one of you to find Jasper," I said quietly, "and the other one to help me with Bella. I can get her to her room easily enough, but I think a woman should be here to talk to her." I looked at Rose pleadingly, and she almost literally kicked Emmett toward the car.

"Find that insolent nephew of mine," she growled, "and knock some sense into that thick skull." Emmett left without his trademark grin, as Rose and I turned back to Bella. I knelt down.

"Bells, can you stand?" She looked at me, but there wasn't an ounce of understanding in those eyes. It was as though she could hear me, but had no idea what I was saying. I winced, and with a glance at Rose I gathered my niece in my arms. Bella wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head on my chest. When I bent to put her on her bed, however, she tightened her hold incredibly and began whimpering.

"Where do you want to go?" I asked her gently. Suddenly, comprehension dawned in her eyes and she let go of me, falling onto the bed.

"Caiden!" she called, looking around for him frantically. "Caiden!" She screamed his name over and over, not quieting once until Alice ran up the stairs with the boy, almost shoving him at Bella in an attempt to calm her down. Bella wrapped her arms around her brother and he mimicked her actions. She cuddled him close and studied the doorway, as though contemplating whether she could make it before one of us stopped her. I went out to stand at the stairs. I wasn't going to stop her from going downstairs, but I didn't want her wandering around a town she barely knew in this state. Surprising me, however, she carried Caiden into his room.

"Daddy?" I heard him ask on the way by.

**Em POV**

I headed out the door as soon as the words had left Rose's mouth. I didn't know what was wrong with Jasper, but I sure as hell was going to find out. Since he hadn't taken his truck, I ignored my own jeep and went straight for the fields surrounding Edward's house. When I didn't see Jasper at a quick glance, I decided to check the far field before I went any further. There was a small softball field hidden by the town hall building, and unless you played ball you rarely knew it was there. Jasper would know, though, as it was one of his favorite places to sit and people watch.

As I neared the field, I recognized the sneaker swinging from a branch nearby.

"What do you want?" asked a sullen voice above me. I looked up.

"Hey Jazz," I said carefully. "I just wanted to see if you were alright. Now that I know you're alive, I'll just head back and take care of Bella." I turned to go and got about seven feet before he called after me.

"Wait!" He hopped down from the tree after I turned, and I saw just how much of a wreck he was. My nephew by marriage looked disastrous. His face was red and blotchy, his blue eyes swollen, and tear tracks stained his cheeks. His hair was a mess, looking like he'd been running his hands through it constantly. When he spoke, he sounded stuffed up. A deaf, dumb, and blind man would have known that he was miserable.

"My god, Jasper," I whispered, going to him. "What the hell happened?" He broke down sobbing again as I went against my manly instincts and wrapped him up in a hug.

"I don't know," said Jasper when he finished crying. "It's like, I saw Edward with Caiden and I was so proud but scared at the same time, and I figured I was getting too close to them. I couldn't do it Uncle Emmett," he sobbed, dropping onto the ground. He hadn't called me Uncle Emmett since…well since he was young enough to still want to do that.

"Why can't you?" I asked him gently.

"What if something happens?" he whispered. My heart broke.

"Jazz, kid, something's _going_ to happen," I said bluntly. "We just don't know if it will be good or bad. Listen, I know you miss Nevaeh and your mom, but aren't you glad you got them for a little while?" I waited until he nodded to continue. "Would you have rather not known either of them?" He shook his head no. "What about Caiden and Bella? Would you rather leave them now, knowing that all three of you will be heartbroken, or would you rather stay and hope things work for the best?"

"They won't though," said Jasper brokenly. "Things never work for the best."

"What about me and Rose? Have we caused you any pain at all?" I asked him.

"No…"

"Exactly. Not everything is going to hurt you. If you stick around, you and Bella will have fights; and Caiden will definitely be fighting with the both of you when he gets older. But they'll both love you, and you'll love them. Isn't that worth it?"

"But what if they die? Or if they move? Or if I move?"

"You can't spend life in a bubble," I told Jasper. "It gets lonely with no friends. If that's really what you want, though…" I trailed off, getting to my feet. "I've got to go check on Bella and Caiden. Edward had to carry her to her room, and when I left I heard her screaming for the kid. I hope she's okay." I began walking toward Edward's house, hoping against all hope that Jasper would follow. He might be scared, but I knew he'd never wish to harm someone.

"How do I apologize?" he asked as we walked. I grinned and slung an arm around his shoulder.

"Fancy words and grand gestures," I laughed. "Nah, just explain to her what was going through your mind. As tough as it might be, you'll feel better once it's out and plus she'll understand where you're coming from. You're a good kid," I added, ruffling his hair.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I hope this chapter clears up some concerns some of you had.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

_Let's go back  
Back to the beginning  
Back to when the Earth, the sun, the stars  
All aligned_

_-Come Clean, Hilary Duff_

**BPOV**

"Daddy?" asked Caiden as I carried him into his room. I stifled a sob as my little brother wondered where his only father figure was.

"I don't know, right now," I whispered brokenly, trying my hardest to even out my voice. "Maybe he'll come back in a little bit, okay?" Caiden nodded, wrapping his arms around my neck and resting his head on my shoulder.

I climbed into the toddler bed, grateful for the first time in my life that I was short. It wasn't very comfortable, but there was no way I could be in my room right now, when Jasper had been in there so recently making me feel as though the three of us were a family.

It hurt when he left. I hadn't really had time to become so invested in him, but unfortunately my brother had. Jasper was Caiden's idol; the toddler loved him like he was his real father. I had broken down outside simply because it meant that I didn't have to deal with my feelings or reality. I knew once I had faced reality, I would have to explain it to Caiden. It was almost easy when our parents died, but how was I supposed to explain that Jasper just didn't want to come back?

Thinking along these lines, I felt the first fire of anger go through me. How _dare_ he lead my little brother on like that? Caiden simply adored him; there was no way in hell I was going to let him walk out of my brother's life without a fight. Luckily for me, by the time I had figured that out, Caiden was down for his nap. I hadn't realized that Alice and Rose had gotten him into his pajamas, and scooted me off the bed as well.

"Thanks," I whispered, stroking Caiden's hair.

"Not a problem," said Alice, smiling gently.

"Do you want to talk?" asked Rose. I shook my head.

"Could you just let me know if and when Jasper gets back? He and I really need to have a discussion," I said to them. They nodded, and I sat down against the wall to watch my brother sleep.

"What's wrong with me?" I whispered to my sleeping brother. "There's no way anyone could not love you, so it's obviously my fault. I swear to you, Caiden, I _swear_ on my own life that no one will ever leave you again. Not when it's in my power to keep them here," I vowed with a vengeance.

"It's not your fault," came a quiet voice behind me. I jumped, assuming that Alice and Rose had left. "Jasper's got issues," Rose continued. "He told you about his mother and his sister, didn't he?"

I nodded. "His father, too," I confirmed. "Or whatever the fuck that bastard was."

"Then you know that it's hard for him to commit to anything…or anyone," said Rose softly. "He couldn't stand to look at another child for the longest time. He never spoke when we took him in. Just before you showed up, he was still only answering us in one word responses. You and your brother are the best thing that ever happened to him, and he'll realize that soon." I had tears in my eyes at her admission. I hugged her, and just as her arms wrapped around my waist, I heard a noise downstairs.

"You'd better be here to apolo – what the fuck?" Edward's voice drifted up the stairs. I heard him muttering with some guy, and then footsteps on the stairs. Jasper poked his head into Caiden's room.

"Bella?" he whispered, looking as bad as I felt. Rose smiled at me.

"That's my cue to leave," she whispered as she slipped out the door. I went back to stroking Caiden's hair, unable to look at Jasper.

"Bella, I want to apologize," said Jasper quietly. "Will you listen?" I finally glanced up at him, and nodded minutely. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god," he said, "because if you had said 'no' I was going to have to revert to grand gestures and fancy words." I heard Emmett's booming laughter from downstairs and felt confused. Jasper scowled.

"Take a walk with me?" I asked quietly. He nodded and took my hand to help me up. He held onto my hand as we descended, and I clung to his as though he were my lifeline. "Edward, can you watch Caiden?"

"Sure thing, kid. Call me if you need me," he added with a glare at Jasper. I almost giggled; Edward was acting the role of the overprotective dad. It felt nice.

We slipped out the front door and headed over to the soccer field, sitting on the bleachers as we watched some children kick a ball around.

"I'm sorry," Jasper said again. "Emmett came and talked to me after I left, and now I realize that I never should have done that. I'd like to explain where I was coming from, if that's okay with you."

"Sure," I said, working to keep my voice indifferent. I kept my eyes on the children, and Jasper sighed.

"I was – _am_ scared," he began. "I'm scared of loving and losing again. I never meant for you guys to mean something to me." I glanced to my left, studying Jasper's profile. I was confused, unsure of whether I should be hurt by that statement. When he noticed me staring, he smiled slightly.

"I'm saying you do mean a lot to me," he chuckled quietly. "I didn't want you to, though. What if something happens and the two of you are gone from my life forever? I would be in the same boat that I was in when I lost my mom, and my sister."

"We're not going anywhere," I said softly, bringing my gaze back to the soccer field. "We don't have anywhere else to go." I fought back the tears as I realized the truth of the statement.

"Hey," he said softly, putting his arm around my shoulders. "You'll always have a place with me. I'm sure Rose and Emmett would take you guys in a heartbeat." He grinned, trying to ease the mood. I giggled, easing into his embrace. "I really am sorry."

"I know," I said. "But next time, talk to me before you blow up and run away."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Thank you all for your patience!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

_My head is saying  
"Fool, forget him"  
My heart is saying  
"Don't let go,  
Hold on to the end"  
And that's what I intend  
To do  
I'm hopelessly devoted  
To you_

_-Hopelessly Devoted, Greased Lightning Soundtrack_

**BPOV**

_**Two Years Later…**_

Jasper and I were seniors now, about to graduate. In fact, today was graduation day. In the past two years, we've gotten very close. We were the best of friends now, and Caiden had taken to calling us his parents full time. My four year old brother refused to call us anything else.

My feelings for Jasper only grew throughout the years, but I never acted on it. My brother needed stability, and I was terrified that Jasper would leave him – us – if he didn't feel the same way I did. Even if he did, what would happen to our little makeshift family if we ever broke up? My brother was too important to risk it, so I didn't.

"Mama, is this right?" I turned around, pulled out of my thoughts by the little boy that I would hopefully be adopting in a few months. I laughed out loud when I saw that his pants were on backwards, his shirt was inside out, and the clip on tie he was supposed to wear was clipped to the seat of his pants, making it look like he had a tail.

"Let Mama fix it," I giggled as I pulled Caiden toward me. I gave him a big hug first, which he returned enthusiastically. I got him out of his pants and fixed them, taking the tie off as I did. Then I fixed his baby blue shirt, and tucked it into his black slacks. The silver tie went on next, and I prayed he would keep it on since it completed the outfit. I grabbed his black suit coat and tied his dress shoes, then brought him downstairs where Jasper was waiting.

"Hey little man," he said, opening his arms for a hug. Caiden jumped into them, squealing happily as his "daddy" swung him around. Jasper was looking real good, I noticed, as my eyes travelled from his new black boots, up to his khakis, then to the icy blue dress shirt he had on. The shirt set off his eyes, and effectively made me drool. When I reached his eyes, I blushed at the smirk he was wearing.

"Like what you see?" he asked, making my face heat up even more. I nodded, unable to meet his eyes, and grabbed Caiden. Jasper grabbed the stroller and followed me out the door. Because of all the cars that were going to be parked at the high school, our group had decided to walk. "I like what I see, too," he whispered in my ear as he bent to set up the stroller. I blushed and grinned, hiding my face behind Caiden's little body.

We got Caiden situated in the stroller and Jasper pushed him while I carried the diaper bag. Edward and the others had already left, claiming they wanted to get decent seats before they were all taken.

While we walked, Jasper decided he wanted to talk. I was just happy being lost in my thoughts.

"So are you nervous?" he asked, bending down to make sure Caiden still had his Sippy cup.

"About what?" I responded absentmindedly.

"About graduation," he laughed. I shook my head to get rid of my haziness.

"Nah," I said. "I mean, I'm a little scared I'm going to trip and make a fool out of myself, but that's it. Are you?"

"Nope. I'm just anxious about where I'm going to college."

"You haven't figured that out yet?" I asked, astounded. From what I had heard, most seniors figured out their college plans halfway through their last year at the latest. Jasper blushed, something he rarely did.

"Well, no," he mumbled. "I kind of wanted to see where you'd be going first, and it just never came up before." I thought frantically. This was not a topic I wanted to discuss on what was supposed to be a happy day. I just knew the top of Jasper's head would fly off if he knew I wasn't going to college next year.

"Well, have you gotten accepted into any, or have you just put off applying?" I asked.

"I got accepted into a few," he responded, not meeting my eyes. I however, was genuinely interested.

"Are you going to tell me where?" I prodded gently.

"Um," he stuttered. "Northwestern and a few others. They're all on the west coast," he added when he saw my confused expression.

"Oh," I said softly. And then "_Oh_," when his words dawned on me. He was leaving us, going three thousand miles away. Give or take, anyway.

"Where do you think you'll be going?" he asked, seemingly eager to take the spotlight off of himself. Unfortunately for him, I was eager to do the same.

"Well why don't we discuss this tomorrow," I said vaguely. "No need for either of us to get stressed out just before we graduate." I flashed him a grin, hoping he took my words as _I'm staying on the east coast_ instead of _I'm not going to college at all_.

Jasper looked confused and slightly upset for a moment, until Caiden's cheer let us know that we had reached our destination.

"Uncle Eddie!" he called, struggling to get out of the stroller. Jasper reached down to keep him still while I bent to undo his straps.

"When you get out of here, you need to stick with us until we reach Uncle Eddie, got it?" I said firmly. My four year old brother just nodded, watching me undo his buckles. He grabbed my hand once he was out and began the process of dragging me over to our uncle and the others.

"Uncle Eddie!" he cheered again when we reached them. Edward held out his hands and Caiden jumped into them.

"Hey, good luck you guys," he said, "and congratulations." I grinned.

"Thanks Edward," I said. "Thank you, all of you. Without you guys, I don't know where Caiden and I would be."

"You'd be in foster care," Emmett said matter-of-factly. He received a slap upside the head for his comment, but I just laughed and shrugged. It was true.

"Either way, we could never have the happiness and love we do without all of you. So thanks." Jasper took a hold of my hand and squeezed it gently.

"We all love you," he said, kissing my cheek. "Both of you." I felt the tears welling up in my eyes, and quickly hugged Jasper so that my face would be blocked. I nonchalantly – I hoped – dried my tears on my best friend's shirt.

Graduation went by quickly, but once I was called I had assistance walking across the stage. Caiden was having nothing to do with Edward or the others, and insisted on sticking with me. So as not to cause a scene, I took him by the hand and led him to the stage.

The principal handed me my diploma, and then knelt down to my brother's level.

"Congratulations, young man," he said, holding his hand out. Caiden looked up at me and I nodded.

"Thank you very much," he said clearly, and shook the principal's hand. The microphone caught his voice, and everyone laughed at his cuteness.

When Jasper was called, Caiden once again took off before I could catch him.

"Daddy!" he shouted, running to catch up with him. Jasper caught him just before the boy slammed into his legs and hoisted him up.

"What are you up to, Rascal?" he asked him teasingly.

"Daddy, I wanna go with you, too," Caiden pleaded. Jasper sighed dramatically.

"Okay then, let's go," he said, and made a show of hauling Caiden up the steps. Giggles could be heard from the little boy, and there wasn't a soul in the audience who wasn't wearing a smile.

When the principal saw Caiden again, he faked surprise.

"Are you graduating _again_?" he teased my brother.

"No sir," Caiden replied, again catching the microphone. "I just wanted to walk with my daddy." He shied into Jasper at his last words, who picked him up. Luckily the principal (and most of the audience) knew about our strange little family.

"Would you like to give this to your daddy?" the principal asked, holding out Jasper's diploma. Caiden's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Yeah!" he squealed, wriggling down from Jasper's grasp. "Congadutions," he said formally to Jasper and the entire audience roared with laughter. Jasper looked delighted.

"Well thank you, sir," he said to Caiden, taking his diploma and shaking my brother's hand. "And thank _you_," he said quietly to the principal. The man just gave him a smile and waved him on.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hmm…not much to say today. I loved all your reviews!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

_All your worries,  
Leave them somewhere else  
Find a dream you can follow_

_-Fly, Hilary Duff_

**BPOV**

"Daddy!" squealed Caiden as Jasper let himself in the house. He had been such a regular visitor that Edward finally decided to give him a key, threatening his life if he lost it.

"Hey Bud," Jasper drawled, scooping Caiden up and tossing him before settling him on his hip. He frowned suddenly. "You're getting too big to be picked up," he said to my brother.

"Nuh-uh!" Caiden cried, latching onto Jasper's neck. "I'm not too big, Daddy, I pwomise!" When Caiden got upset, his R's would suddenly disappear. It was a great way to ward off the tears before they even fell.

"Okay, I suppose you're not too big," Jasper said agreeably. "After all, I can still do _this_." He swung Caiden into the air again, both boys laughing as he did so.

"Hey," he said to me, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. It was such a familiar thing to do, but it made my heart flutter whenever he did it while holding Caiden. It made me feel as though we were a family, and not just two friends pulled together by the insistence of a once-two year old.

"Hey yourself," I said with a smile. "Want to take a walk with me?"

"Sure. Are we taking…" he trailed off, nodding down toward Caiden. If he heard his name mentioned, he would automatically assume he was coming, too. And then, if we didn't take him, a massive fit would ensue. I shook my head.

"Edward will watch him," I said. "I just need a break." I huffed, blowing air out of my mouth with a small smile. Jasper nodded.

"I know what you mean," he said laughingly. "Alright, let's go." I went and knocked on Edward's door, waiting for his reply.

"Can you watch Caiden now?" I asked. "I need to talk to Jasper…" I got lost in my thoughts of what I was going to say, and I guess it was written on my face.

"Of course," Edward nodded. "Good luck. And you let me know if that boy needs a kick in the ass." I laughed. Edward had, for all intents and purposes, become my father over the last two years. He and I both knew that no one could ever replace Charlie, or even Phil, but we had a comfortable relationship.

Edward also knew of my plans to not attend college. He wasn't thrilled about it, but he understood that I wanted to be able to support myself and Caiden – especially if I was going to be adopting him. The adoption process would be easy enough, since I was his older sister, but I didn't like relying on anyone to support my responsibility.

I went into the living room with Edward on my heels, where Caiden was watching The Lion King. It was his new obsession; and while I was grateful to be done with Toy Story, The Lion King was seriously wearing on me.

"Hey kiddo," I said, "Daddy and I are going out for a bit. Uncle Eddie's going to watch you, okay?" Caiden nodded, his eyes never leaving the screen. I rolled my own eyes, and headed out the door with Jasper.

When we got a little ways down the street, Jasper grabbed my hand and pulled me onto a bench in the shade.

"What did you want to talk about?" he asked, knowing I had dragged him out for a reason. I sighed, and decided to just spit it out.

"I wanted to talk about college," I said hesitantly. Jasper froze for a split second, and then nodded. I wondered if I had imagined him freezing.

"Okay," he said, "what about it?"

"Have you decided where you're going yet?" I asked. He shook his head.

"I wanted to know where you're going first," he replied. "I didn't really want to be too far from you and Caiden." He blushed faintly, and I giggled.

"Well, here's the thing," I said, sobering up. "I'm not going to college." I stared at the ground by my feet, waiting for the explosion. It didn't come.

"So where do you think you want to go to school?" he asked, as though I hadn't said anything. I huffed.

"I'm not," I said again. The explosion I was waiting for finally arrived.

"What the hell do you mean, you're not going to college?!" Jasper asked incredulously, his voice slightly raised. I shrunk a little.

"I'm adopting Caiden after my birthday," I said. "I want to get a job, so I can support the both of us. I figured next year when he's in school, I can either start college then or go to school online."

Jasper was silent for so long, I was beginning to think he'd gone mute.

"Jazz?" I said tentatively.

"Sorry," he said immediately. "I was just thinking. If you don't want to go to school for that reason, I guess that's understandable." He spoke almost in a monotone, and my gut told me he wasn't very happy with me.

"Do you know where you're going to go?" I asked in a small voice. He shrugged.

"It still depends on where you guys are planning on being," he said with a warm smile. I breathed a sigh of relief and felt the tears make their way out of my eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked frantically.

"Nothing," I sniffed. "I was just so scared you were going to hate me and think I was stupid and not want to be friends with me anymore – " I inwardly cringed at the word _friends_, and Jasper cut my rambling short.

"Silly girl," he said affectionately, pulling me into his side. He wrapping his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. "Of course I wouldn't leave you just because you want to wait a year for college. I'm going to be right there with you, helping you with Caiden. If that's okay with you," he added hastily when I looked up at him.

"Of course it is," I murmured, repeating his earlier statement. I snuggled into his side, relishing in the comfort his body provided me.

"Bella?"

"Hmm?" I looked up again, wondering what Jasper could want now.

"You said you were adopting Caiden?" he asked. I nodded. "Do you think maybe – I mean, I'd like to –well, if it's alright with you – aw hell," he muttered, and then began again. "IwanttoadoptCaidentoo," he said in a rush. I blinked.

"Huh?" I asked intelligently.

"I want to adopt Caiden, too," he said slower. His face was a bright red and he was looking anywhere but at me. If he was looking at me, he would have seen the enormous grin spreading across my face.

"Really?" I said calmly. "Do you really?" I had tried to disguise the excitement in my voice, but the tears overflowed and my traitor voice became squeaky.

"Yeah, really," Jasper said with a little laugh when he saw my reaction. I squeezed him tightly, tighter than I ever had before.

"I don't know how to thank you," I said wonderingly. "This is the best thing I could ever have asked for. I just, I don't know -" I was cut off when Jasper's lips pressed to mine.

_Whoa_, I thought to myself.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: You guys are awesome!! I loved your responses to the kiss! PS I don't have a beta (in case you hadn't figured that out yet), so bear with me on my mistakes.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

**BPOV**

I was in what seemed like an endless white room. I couldn't see a door, or walls, or even a floor or ceiling. I knew I was standing in the middle of the room for a major reason, despite the fact that I was wearing simple jeans and a t-shirt.

Suddenly, I could see the floor. It was nice looking carpeting, which had always been my favorite. It reminded me of the floor in my parents' bedroom when I was five. When I looked back up, I realized that the room I was in was an exact replica of it. I went over and ran my fingers lightly over the dresser, the vanity, and the bookshelf; and I sat gingerly on the bed.

"Don't cry, sweetie," whispered a disembodied voice, and the tears in my eyes instantly dried.

"Who's there?" I asked shakily. A woman in the distance walked toward me, but I couldn't make out who she was.

"I'm proud of you," the voice said again. I shivered.

"Mom?" I gasped. "Mom, is that you?"

"Your father, Phil, and I – we're all proud of you. You've done such a wonderful job raising yourself and your brother," the voice continued. The woman in the distance became clearer as she reached the bedroom door.

"Mommy!" I exclaimed, throwing myself into her arms. The tears finally came, fast and hot.

"Hi baby," she smiled, wrapping her arms around me. "We've missed you, you know."

"Oh Mom," I whispered. I seemed to be speechless.

"Come, sit," she said, leading me over to the bed. She sat herself, and patted the spot next to her in the way she always used to.

"How have you been?" she asked me knowingly. I stared at her.

"I've been fine," I said automatically. "Am I in Heaven?" My mother laughed, a hearty laugh that I hadn't heard between Charlie's death and her and Phil's marriage.

"You are," she told me. "But you're not dead, so don't worry. You're just here for a visit." I sighed.

"I want a souvenir. Can I take you back with me?" I asked, only half serious. She laughed again.

"Sorry sweetie, I'm a little busy keeping everyone in line up here." Renee winked at me, and then wrapped her arm around my shoulder. "Tell me what's on your mind, my beautiful daughter." The tears came again.

"Caiden," I whispered. "Jasper, Edward, school, work…you name it, I'm worried about it." I felt the tears being dried off of my cheeks as I spoke.

"Let's start at the beginning," she said soothingly. "First of all, who's this Jasper boy? I've noticed him a few times, and I've seen that look on your face. You love him, don't you?"

I sighed. "I do, Mom. I've been in love with him for over two years now. The problem is, Caiden considers Jasper his father, and I don't want to jeopardize that. Jasper kissed me today, and I don't know what to do."

"He what?!" another disembodied voice boomed. I quaked.

"Oh Charlie," Renee said. "Calm down. She's a big girl now, not the little five year old you remember."

"Dad?" I whispered after my mind had caught up with what Renee had said. "Dad's here, too? What about Phil?"

"Yes, they're both here. Boys, why don't you come on in and sit with us," Renee sighed. "You're going to be listening anyway."

Charlie and Phil both materialized, glaring at Renee. I simply gaped.

"What?" asked Renee.

"What do you mean, 'what'?" responded Charlie.

"That boy can't go around kissing our little girl!" snapped Phil.

I was still gaping.

"She's not such a little girl anymore, guys," said Renee. "She's almost 18, and she's had to raise our little boy for the last two years. She's pretty much a mother herself." She gave me a sad smile.

"It's okay Mom," I told her, still staring at Charlie and Phil. "I miss all of you so much, but raising Caiden has been the best thing I could ever do. Everything in my life revolves around him."

"Which is why she wanted to talk about this kiss," Renee interrupted, glaring at the men. They both let out noises of displeasure, and sat in two chairs that were suddenly facing the bed.

"Let's talk," stated Charlie.

"Where did he kiss you?" asked Phil.

"How did he kiss you?" asked Charlie.

"How long was it?" asked Phil.

"Did you want him to kiss you?" asked Charlie.

"I'll kick his ass-butt!" exclaimed Phil.

"I get the first hit," growled Charlie.

I gaped.

"What's the problem with Jasper kissing you?" Renee asked gently. I turned toward her.

"If we start dating," I began, "and then break up later, what's going to happen to Caiden? I don't want to take Jasper away from him, but I don't think things will ever be comfortable between us as friends anymore." I frowned, thinking of the possibilities.

"If you don't date," said Renee, "and instead you date someone else, where is he going to fit into in Caiden's life? If you don't give it a shot, how will you ever know if it could work out?" I sighed, even as Phil and Charlie began growling. Before I could gape at them again, I responded to my mother.

"I'd rather make sure he stays in Caiden's life to make him happy, than to risk losing him to make myself happy," I said quietly. The men calmed down, but still seemed agitated for some reason.

"She loves her brother," Renee said quietly to the men. "Do you think that means she should sacrifice her own happiness for the rest of her life?"

"Yes," grumbled Charlie. "If it means she never has a boyfriend." Phil nodded his agreement.

"She didn't ask for this," snapped Renee, suddenly fierce. "None of us did. That doesn't change anything, though. Charlie, we got married, and had Bella. Would you change that for anything?" When he shook his head, she continued. "What about you, Phil? Would you give up having Caiden for those two years?" He too, shook his head.

"Neither would I," said Renee. "I wouldn't give up either of my children for anything at all. But our choices, our decisions, our fate – they all coincided together to make our daughter raise our son on her own. She's not a single mother, she didn't make any mistakes, and she shouldn't be punished for it. Phil, do you think Bella should be able to find happiness?" Phil nodded, as did Charlie before she could even ask him.

I gaped.

Not only was I seeing my dead parents for the first time in two years – twelve, in Charlie's case – but we were having a discussion about my life with my brother.

"All in all," Renee concluded, turning to me, "I say you should give Jasper a chance. The boy is so obviously in love with you. Take it slowly, if you must; but my vote – and Phil and your father's – is to date him if you want to."

I nodded slowly, still trying to process everything.

"I love you, Mommy," I whispered, leaning into her.

"I love you too, baby," she whispered back.

"Daddy," I said quietly, going to him. "I love you, and I miss you." I did the same with Phil, saying my goodbyes to everyone.

When I woke, I knew what I was going to do.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: I've been getting a bit of writer's block in this area…I know what I want to happen in the future, and it's coinciding with what's happened in the past but…I can't for the life of me figure out how to get there . So please, bear with me as I stumble my way through the present. And, as always, thank you all for your reviews! I love reading them, they give me a warm feeling in my belly ^_^**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

_I've been watching you, Dad  
Ain't that cool  
I'm your buckaroo  
I wanna be like you  
And eat all my food,  
And grow as tall as you are;  
We like fixin' things  
And holdin' Momma's hands  
Yeah we're just alike,  
Hey, ain't we Dad  
I wanna do everything you do,  
So I've been watching you_

_-Watching You, Rodney Atkins_

**BPOV**

It had been a week and a half since Jasper kissed me. Eleven awful days. I had been walking around in a half-zombie, half-mother state. I still had Caiden to worry about, despite my obvious avoidance of Jasper. It wasn't until I snapped out of my zombie state and really noticed what my soon-to-be son was doing, that I realized we _both _needed Jasper. I stared at him, suddenly seeing his longish wavy blonde hair, his blue eyes that squinted just like Jasper's when he was confused, or widened – again, just like Jasper's – when he was pleading. His laugh mirrored his makeshift father's, as did some of the words he used!

"Caiden!" I scolded, after hearing a certain four letter word come out of his mouth when he accidentally knocked his blocks down. He looked up, his eyes widening.

"Sorry, Mama," he whispered. I sighed. I should have known Jasper's language would influence my brother to some extent. I knew then, what needed to be done. Heading towards the stairs, I shook my head at the little boy.

"Don't let me hear you say that again," I told him sternly. He nodded solemnly.

I traipsed up the stairs, keeping my ears on my brother for the moment. When I heard "oops" instead of "shit", I knew he had gotten the message.

"Edward," I called, knocking on his door. I heard a muffled "come in" and tentatively opened the door. I poked my head in first, just for confirmation that I wouldn't catch my uncle in an awkward situation, and saw nobody.

"What's up, kiddo?" he asked, coming out of his closet. I jumped, then shook my head at my own idiocy.

"I need your help," I mumbled, plopping down onto his bed.

"Sure," said Edward, coming over to sit next to me. "With what?" I blushed then, suddenly realizing that I was about to ask my uncle for something personal – something I had never done since we moved here.

"Do you think you could get the whole gang over here to hang out?" I asked, peering up at Edward. "The _whole_ gang?"

Edward looked thoughtful for a minute, and then studied me.

"And would this whole gang include a certain young man by the name of Jasper?" he asked quietly. I nodded, blushing even more. "I can try," he said, "but I'm sure he'll be here. Even if Rose wasn't the type of person to drag him here, he loves you. Both of you," he added when he saw I was about to protest.

"Thanks," I whispered, giving Edward a quick hug.

Two hours, forty seven minutes, and twenty three seconds later, Jasper was at my front door. Everyone else had already gotten here, and Rose had constantly assured me that _he_ would be here. She only used the pronoun instead of his name, because if Caiden had heard the word "Jasper" he would have been out of his mind with excitement – and it was almost bed time for him.

I was standing in the hall, staring at the door and having a mini breakdown. At least, I was until Rose shoved me at the door, and Alice opened it, the two of them disappearing with inhuman speed. I stared up at Jasper with wide eyes, sure I looked like a deer caught in headlights.

He had his hands behind his back, and his head down. When he picked his head up, I saw a look of surprise mixed with joy.

"I was hoping you wouldn't avoid me tonight," he whispered, bringing his hands out from behind his back. In them was the world's most beautiful bouquet of flowers – a dozen dandelions. I had never told a soul of my love for them; I had simply picked them whenever we happened to pass by a pretty one. Dandelions were my all time favorite flower simply because I know that if someone gives me some, they definitely went out and picked them. After all, what flower shop would sell weeds?

The tears immediately started down my face and I slammed into my best friend. I buried my face in his chest and clung to him tightly, as he soothed me.

"I'm so sorry," I whimpered.

"Shh, Bella, it's not your fault. I should have known the turmoil it would cause you. _I'm_ sorry," he responded in a soothing voice. I shook my head against his chest.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking this past week and a half," said Jasper quietly, still holding me. "And I realize why you've been avoiding me. It might break up our little family if we were to try dating, and the last thing I want is to hurt you or Caiden."

I cried harder at his statement, apparently alarming him.

"Shit, what did I say?!" he exclaimed, leaning away from me. Suddenly I lifted my head and smacked him on the arm.

"You taught my brother that word," I hissed, "and you're _going_ to unteach it to him. I will _not_ have my baby brother running around saying four letter words all the time, especially if his daddy's going to be around more. God only knows what you might teach him next." I glared at Jasper, daring him to defy me. Instead, he got a goofy grin on his face.

"I'm going to be around more?" he asked stupidly. I sighed.

"Yes you moron. Can't you see what your absence did to me? Obviously I like you as more than a friend…" I trailed off, feeling my face heat up. Jasper let out a sudden whoop, and grabbed me, spinning me around. "Jasper…" I moaned, watching the world go 'round and 'round.

"Oh, sh-_crap_," he whispered, putting me down and facing anywhere but my direction. I watching him adjust something in front of him, and realization dawned on me. My face was currently the color of a fire truck – and was on fire.

"Daddy!" a little voice called and the sound of little feet pattered on the floor above us. Caiden had heard his whoop and was alerted to the fact that he was here. Jasper's face lit up as he heard his son calling for him. Just as Caiden stumbled on the last step – a gene we must have caught from our mother – Jasper reached out and plucked him up, saving him from doing a faceplant on the floor.

Caiden's arms wrapped around Jasper's neck, and Jasper's arms wrapped around my waist. I wrapped my own arms around the both of them, and we just stood there.

_Our own little family_.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: My horrid attempt at a first date…hope you like it! More drama to come soon :)**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

_Hoping the melody will lead you,  
You walked here where I might not see you,  
Reach out to the wind;  
Looking to catch it for a minute,  
But just to hold it; not be in it,  
I've been where you've been_

_-In My Pocket, Mandy Moore_

**BPOV**

Time passed quickly, now that I had agreed to go on a date with Jasper. Edward was watching Caiden for the evening, while Jasper and I went for dinner at Luigi's. It was the first time I had ever been there, seeing as it was enclosed in a small parking lot that had stores I never went to. After dinner, we were supposed to drive out to Burlington to see a movie. Cliché, I know, but it really did sound like a great time. Not to mention I hadn't been able to see a movie in theaters since my parents had died.

I was currently in a frenzy, rushing around the house trying to get ready for my date. I had thought I had ten minutes to spare when the doorbell rang.

"Oh no, I'm not ready!" I cried, racing up the stairs so Jasper wouldn't see me yet. Edward and Caiden stood by and watched me with wide eyes, as Edward went to answer the door.

"Alice, thank god you're here," I heard him whisper. I bolted back down the stairs. Grabbing Alice's hand before anyone could say hello, I dragged her back into my bedroom.

"Don't think I didn't hear that, mister!" I called back to Edward. Alice giggled, until she caught sight of me.

"Bella, is that what you're wearing tonight?" she asked with a concerned look. I shook my head frantically.

"No, it's not supposed to be. I just can't figure out what the right outfit is!" I was incredibly close to tears when I felt small hands wrap around my shoulders.

"Go into the bathroom and comb out your hair," Alice whispered in my ear. "I'll get your outfit ready."

"I only have ten – no, eight minutes now," I informed her. She nodded, shooing me out.

"You'll be fine, I promise. Now, go!"

Seven minutes and forty three seconds later, I was smoothly opening the door to greet Jasper. Edward stood by in shock as I presented my calm, collected self to my date.

"Thanks Alice," I said, kissing her cheek as I grabbed my purse. Jasper took a hold of my hand as I shut the door behind me.

"Did you slip something in her drink?" I heard Edward ask incredulously.

In the course of seven and a half minutes, Alice had pulled my hair into a half ponytail. I had wavy strands of hair framing my face. She had also managed to dress me in a nice baby blue sweater, and dark blue jeans. My savior had even been able to splash some cucumber melon body spray on me, as well as touch up my face with a bit of blush, eye shadow, and lip gloss. I had never been so grateful that Edward had such a wonderful girlfriend.

"You look beautiful," Jasper commented, almost shyly. I peered up at him through my eyelashes.

"Thanks. So do you," I whispered back. I felt my face light up as I realized what I had just said. "I mean, not beautiful. You look very handsome," I stuttered out. He chuckled.

Jasper had shown up at the door wearing a nice royal blue sport coat, with a black fitted t-shirt underneath. He had on jeans and nice sneakers, which was uncommon for him as he almost always wore work boots.

When we arrived at the car, Jasper opened the passenger side door for me and I slid in. Instead of his pickup truck, Rosalie had let him borrow her convertible. We had the top down on the way to the restaurant, savoring the last of summer. The dinky town of Bedford was beginning to let on that autumn was coming, even in late August.

At the restaurant, I ordered the chicken broccoli tortellini, while Jasper got the chicken parmigiana. The conversation was slightly awkward at first, neither of us really knowing how to transition from best friends to dating. Once the food arrived, however, we slid into easy conversation. I picked at his food like normal, and he ate my leftovers. It was all so familiar, yet so different.

Every word, every action was viewed differently. I stared at his sensuous lips as they wrapped around his fork, and blushed when he caught me staring. He ran his thumb lightly over the back of my hand as he held it; the latter was normal for us, but the former was far from it.

Each touch, each stare stirred up new feelings in the pit of my stomach. Whenever I caught his eye, I saw a fire simmering in them that I had never noticed before. Finally, dinner was done and we were headed out to the car.

"That food was phenomenal," I moaned, trying to get rid of the feeling that I was too full.

"I'm glad you liked it," said Jasper with a grin. "Instead of the movie, would you mind if I took you somewhere else?" I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Where?" I asked suspiciously. He shook his head.

"I would really like it be a surprise," he said softly, his eyes pleading with me. I agreed, and prepared myself for whatever was coming.

To my surprise, I found us sitting in the parking lot of an apartment complex when Jasper turned the car off. He got out and opened my door for me, taking my hand to help me out of the car.

"An apartment complex?" I asked him, a bewildered expression crossing my face. He chuckled. "Did you lease an apartment here?" I continued, a little scared to hear the answer. Jasper looked thoughtful for a moment before he answered.

"What would you say if I said yes?" he asked gently, holding my hand lightly. I blushed.

"I really don't know," I replied honestly. "I'd need more time to think about it." He nodded his understanding.

"Well, I didn't," he began, full out laughing at the look of relief on my face. "But one day, I would like the three of us to live together," he finished, whispering in my ear. I nearly swooned.

We walked behind the first building in the complex, out to a small path in the woods. Jasper led, never letting go of my hand, only stopping to hold a stray branch out of the way. We finally came upon a small clearing, which held a picnic table and a tiny fort.

"Oh Jasper," I sighed, "it's beautiful." I walked over to the fort, noting a worn child's carpet inside with a couple of armchairs.

"It's where I come to think," he said quietly, glancing in behind me. "And occasionally, I sleep here. At least, I did before you came along."

I turned in place, so that my lips were inches from his.

"Thank you," I whispered, before pressing my lips to his cheek. He turned his head, capturing my mouth with his, licking my bottom lip. My mouth opened of its own volition, and the evening turned into a sensual make out session in Jasper's little fort.

At home later that night, after putting Caiden to bed, I wandered downstairs to say good night to Edward and to thank him for babysitting.

"Hey Bella," he called as I turned toward the stairs.

"Yes?" I called back.

"I'd like to talk to you for a moment, if you don't mind." We sat on the couch, and I noticed that Edward looked slightly uncomfortable.

"I don't know if your parents ever talked to you about this," he began, "but I figured better safe than sorry. Speaking of…Bella, are you being safe with Jasper?"


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: You can all hate me as much as you like…I know I'm a horrible person! I haven't updated in soooo long! And now, I regret to inform you that after this chapter, **_**He Hates Children**_** is going to be taking a little hiatus. However, in an effort to appease your hatred (and in the hopes that you'll still read my writing) I will be writing several chapters during the break, if not finishing the rest of the story. That way, when I come back to it, the updates won't be so few and far between. I hope you all understand, and thank you all for reading!**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

_Previously:_

_At home later that night, after putting Caiden to bed, I wandered downstairs to say good night to Edward and to thank him for babysitting._

_"Hey Bella," he called as I turned toward the stairs._

_"Yes?" I called back._

_"I'd like to talk to you for a moment, if you don't mind." We sat on the couch, and I noticed that Edward looked slightly uncomfortable._

_"I don't know if your parents ever talked to you about this," he began, "but I figured better safe than sorry. Speaking of…Bella, are you being safe with Jasper?"_

**BPOV**

I blanched. There was no other way to say it. I didn't blush, as I hadn't fully comprehended the fact that my uncle had just asked me flat out if Jasper and I were using condoms, or birth control, or whatever. Seriously? My first date ever with a guy, and suddenly he assumes we're having sex?

Instead of getting upset with him, or even embarrassed, I decided to have a little fun.

"Safe?" I responded innocently. "What do you mean?" Edward grimaced, and I stifled a laugh.

"Y-you know," he stuttered, "safe, like…safe sex." He muttered the last two words, looking at anything except me.

"Sex can be safe?" I continued, my eyes widening almost comically. "I didn't know that! I thought it was really simple, and all you had to do was – " Edward cut me off quickly, almost forcing me to burst into laughter.

"You know what?" he mumbled, looking around him, "here. Just, take these and do – or don't do! – whatever you want with them. I don't need to know anything." He shoved a box of condoms into my hands. I studied them, noticing how the box stated the size – large. I peered up at my uncle through my lashes and slowly handed the box back to him.

"Edward," I began, "I don't know…I'm not too sure these will work. I mean, what do you do with them? They don't look very safe to me." Edward's face dropped, but he recovered quickly.

"Give them to Jasper," he suggested. "He'll know what to do."

"But Edward," I whined, "I don't want to embarrass myself in front of him! Please help me?" He sighed, his face reddening. Before I could say anything else, he bolted into the kitchen and came back out with a banana.

"You take one of these," he explained with a sigh, "and you put it on…you put it on him. You see?" I made my expression confused.

"Where?" I demanded. "Where would I put that?"

"On his penis!" Edward yelled, exasperated. I slapped a hand over my mouth to stifle my giggles, instead making it seem as though I were offended at his yelling.

"I _know_ that," I told him indignantly. "I'm not stupid. There's just one problem."

"What's that?" asked Edward semi-patiently.

"I don't think those will fit Jasper," I said. "If the condom is too small, won't it cut off his circulation?" Edward's face became a dangerous shade of purple and I finally let out my laughter. I was laughing so hard I had tears streaming down my face, and I was struggling to breathe. Edward simply glowered at me the entire time, which just kept setting me off. I heard the front door open and click shut, and willed myself to stop laughing.

"Edward," I gasped, "I'm only kidding. Calm down. I haven't had sex with Jasper and I'm not planning to for quite a while. I haven't seen his…_you know_…and I won't any time soon. So please, keep the condoms," I laughed. "I have no need for them."

"Oh Edward," Alice sighed, walking into the room. "I told you not to have The Talk with her! It's much better coming from a woman, and if you'd have let me talk to her then you wouldn't look like you're in danger of having a heart attack!" She sat down next to my poor uncle and began rubbing his back in slow, soothing strokes.

"Sorry," I said, still giggling as I kissed Edward's cheek. "I'm going to bed now!" I danced up the stairs, still grinning as I pictured Edward's face during my questions.

**A/N: Okay so I know this is hella short, but I laughed the entire time I was writing it. I hope you guys enjoyed it, and updates will be way more often when I come back! Enjoy!**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: I'm back! And this is the epilogue. You have my sincere apologies for the terribly long wait.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**_

**BPOV**

_(10 years later)_

"Caiden, can you come down here please?" I called, grinning at Jasper as he walked in the door. "Hi honey, how was work?"

"Not too bad," he responded, a slow smile working its way up. "I got a raise!"

"That's terrific! And it's just in time, too," I said. Jasper looked momentarily confused.

"Just in time for what?" asked Caiden as he came down the stairs.

After that first date with Jasper, things only got better. I went to school for early childhood education after taking a year off to get our finances in order. During that year, I worked full time at the local daycare while Jasper worked part time and majored in (what else?) history. He was particularly fond of the civil war era, even going so far as to get into heated discussions about why the south should not have lost. Now he works for the History department at the local community college, and he absolutely adores his job.

After I told my boss that I needed to lessen my hours so I could start college, I was granted a partial scholarship. On my last full day, my co-workers threw a party for me. It was during that party that my boss informed me that as long as I continued to work there until I graduated, my entire education would be paid for – books, courses, and all. I cried, of course, and thanked him until I was blue in the face. Thanks to him, instead of just getting an associate's degree, I continued until I finished my bachelor's – specializing in working with autistic preschoolers.

Now I was kind of a freelance agent. I was paid very good money to work one on one with severely autistic children, and because of that I was able to devote some time to volunteering to work with those children whose parents couldn't afford me. I didn't think it was right that people with less extra money be denied the help they needed.

Caiden, my beautiful fourteen year old brother, never outgrew calling us mom and dad. When he got a little older, we sat him down and explained everything to him – his real parents, his early years, his adoption, etc. – and emphasized that no matter what happened in the past or will happen in the future, he would always be our son. So far, he's never been worried.

As he got older, he only grew more and more charismatic – so much so, that you would never believe he refused to speak until he was three. The boy could talk any other boy into walking away from a fight, and could probably charm the pants off of any girl at his school. Thankfully though, he seemed more interested in his video games than the girls. For now.

"Mom?" he said now, jolting me out of my thoughts. "You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry," I laughed. "I was just thinking."

"About what?" asked Jasper, wrapping his arm around my waist. I looked down at his hand as it curved around my hip, grinning to myself as I remembered our wedding.

Jasper had proposed the day after I graduated college, and the wedding had been the following summer. Caiden had been the best man, and Alice had been my maid of honor. It seemed wrong to have to choose between her and Rose, but Alice was the closest thing I had to a mother now. Edward gave me away, and Edward and Alice's twins Harvey and Liana were the flower girl and ring bearer. Oh, that's right – my uncle had finally gotten the guts to marry Alice just after we graduated high school.

For our honeymoon, we took Caiden to Disneyworld. Jasper had sensed my nerves about leaving Caiden behind, and Caiden had been openly worried about whether we would come back. So when he suggested a family vacation instead of a romantic honeymoon… I hugged him until I thought he would split. He always seemed to know just what we needed. We had just assumed that we'd take the time for our honeymoon before we started our own family.

"Well, I was thinking maybe Italy would be a nice place to finally take our honeymoon," I said, giving Jasper a sly smile.

"Ew," said Caiden with a look of disgust. "Why did I need to be here for that?" I laughed, while Jasper put the pieces together.

"Does this mean…" he began, looking at me with cautious hope. When I nodded, he let out a whoop and swung me around before kissing me hard.

"Ew," Caiden said again. "If someone doesn't explain soon, I'm going back to my room. I don't need to be having nightmares tonight." I turned in Jasper's arms, to face my son.

"How would you feel about having a sibling?" I asked cautiously, watching Caiden's face. He made an odd expression, before shrugging with a bored look on his face.

"Do I have a choice?" he asked blandly, while my heart sank. Jasper's grip tightened on my waist.

"No," he said roughly. "You don't. If you can't at least act happy for your mother, then just go to your room." Caiden spun around and headed for the stairs, but not before I saw the look on his face.

"Jasper," I said softly once Caiden was gone. "It's okay. Let me talk to him, okay?" He nodded, and swung me around once more before letting me go.

I knocked on Caiden's door, listening for him to invite me in. When I heard a muffled "go away," I let myself in instead. I found Caiden lying face down on his bed, and sat down next to him. He turned his head to face the wall opposite from me.

"I said 'go away', not 'come in'," he said roughly. I put my hand on his back.

"I know," I said. "But I ignored it. Can we talk?" Caiden ignored me, obviously using my words against me. I sighed.

"Caiden," I began. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen," he said with a bemused tone.

"How long have I loved you?" I asked. I grimaced when he shrugged, and socked his shoulder. "Fifteen years, you brute!" He rolled over and looked at me, and I saw the telltale signs that he had been crying but tried to cover it up.

"If I'm only fourteen, how could you love me for fifteen years?" he asked.

"I loved you ever since I knew you existed," I told him. "When our mom said that she was pregnant, I loved you then. And I've never stopped loving you, even when you've been a total brat. And I never will stop loving you, even if you decide to hate me for wanting more children."

Caiden winced, his eyes seeking mine. "I don't hate you, Momma," he said quietly, reverting to an old name for me that I thought he had outgrown. "I'm just scared you'll love this kid more than me." I pulled him up into a sitting position and hugged him fiercely.

"I could never love anyone more than you," I told him. "I'll love this baby just as much as you, but I won't love you any less. Neither will your father, I promise."

"She's right," Jasper said from the door way. "I'm thrilled to have a biological child, of course." I wanted to kill him when I saw Caiden's face fall. Jasper sat down next to me.

"But I would never in my life change anything about you," he said. "I love you just as much as I love this baby." He rubbed my belly gently. Caiden looked at each of us and pulled us in a group hug.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I love you guys."


End file.
